How far did each Raptor actually travel versus the Rockets?
We overlaid the streets of Toronto with NBA player-tracking data. You know, for fun.
On Nov. 9, the Toronto Raptors beat Jalen Green and his Houston Rockets 116–109 in a game on their home floor.
All-start point guard Fred VanVleet had a game-high 32 points in 35 minutes — a performance that was all the more important because the team was without star forward Pascal Siakam.
As is often the case, the Raptors ran hard, collecting 23 fast-break points to the Rockets’ 19.
But have you ever wondered how far VanVleet and his teammates actually travelled over the course of the game?
Thanks to player-tracking technology and the NBA’s advanced stats site, we know the answer to that. Here’s the data for the Nov. 9 Rockets contest:
Player | Distance Travelled |
---|---|
O.G. Anunoby | 4.57 km |
Fred VanVleet | 4.28 km |
Scottie Barnes | 4.17 km |
Gary Trent Jr. | 3.40 km |
Thaddeus Young | 3.17 km |
Otto Porter Jr. | 2.88 km |
Christian Koloko | 1.80 km |
Precious Achiuwa | 1.61 km |
Dalano Banton | 1.59 km |
Chris Boucher | 1.58 km |
That said, it’s one thing to know Raptors All-Defensive Team candidate O.G. Anunoby covered 4.57 km in the game, but ... how far is that, really?
Like, what if instead of moving 4.57 km around the 94-ft. (29-m) court, Anunoby left Scotiabank Arena altogether and travelled that same distance through the city? Where would he get to?
I mean, he wouldn’t have tied a season-high with 27 points, but he might’ve discovered something new.
For fun, we mapped the distance travelled of each Raptor who hit the floor against the Rockets using Toronto places of interest as stopping points. Check out the visualization attached to this article to see where their legs could have carried them.
Code and markup by Kyle Duncan. ©Torontoverse, 2022