Synergy & Why You Need It
Breaking down a powerful sports technology for basketball analysis
Synergy Sports Technology is one of the most powerful and widely used basketball video analysis and scouting platforms in the world. It’s used at every level—NBA, NCAA, international pro leagues, and even top high school programs—because of its detailed statistical tagging, breakdowns of film, and streamlined scouting capabilities. Now, let’s break down what Synergy is, what it does, and why coaches value it.
What Is Synergy?
Synergy Sports is a cloud-based video analysis and statistical platform that provides teams with:
Every possession from every game, organized by action type, player, and outcome
Advanced filtering tools for film study
Play-type efficiency statistics
Scouting tools for both self-scout and opponent preparation
Why Coaches Want It: Key Benefits
1. Automated Video Tagging
Every game is broken down possession-by-possession with tags for:
Pick and roll (ball handler vs roller)
Isolation
Post-ups
Spot-ups
Off-screen action
Transition
Cuts, putbacks, handoffs, etc.
These tags are linked to video, so coaches can instantly watch all of a team’s pick and rolls or all of a player’s spot-up shots.
2. Player and Team Efficiency Metrics
Synergy tracks points per possession (PPP) for:
Individual players by action (e.g., 1.12 PPP in spot-ups)
Entire teams in offensive and defensive categories
Coaches can assess strengths, weaknesses, and matchups more precisely than with basic box score stats.
3. Custom Video Playlists
Coaches can build playlists for:
Teaching clips for players
Game prep/scouting (e.g., all of an opponent’s SLOBs)
Film sessions focused on specific team goals (e.g., transition defense breakdowns)
4. Scouting Opponents
Coaches can:
Study opponent play frequency and success by action
Break down individual tendencies (e.g., “Player X goes left 80% of the time on drives”)
Identify go-to sets and late-game plays
5. Self-Scouting
Coaches can evaluate their own:
Offensive system effectiveness
Player usage
Defensive vulnerabilities
Game-to-game trends
What Else Can Synergy Offer?
1. Global Game Access
Access to tens of thousands of games from:
NCAA Men’s & Women’s
NBA/G-League
FIBA International Leagues
Youth/High School (select partnerships)
2. Integration with Other Tools
Compatible with:
Hudl, FastDraw, Just Play, Sportscode, and other coaching platforms
Coaches can export Synergy clips into presentations and playbooks
3. Live Stats and Enhanced Reports
Real-time and postgame stats, sortable by:
Lineups
Matchups
Possession results
Action frequencies
4. Recruiting & Player Evaluation
Access to thousands of individual player profiles, including highlight reels filtered by action type and situational stats
5. AI and Machine Learning
Increasing use of AI to auto-tag actions, improving the speed and depth of breakdowns without manual coding
Why Coaches Should Invest in Synergy
Time Efficiency: Saves hours of manual film breakdown
Competitive Edge: Scouting is deeper and more data-driven
Player Development: Tailored feedback with visual learning
Recruiting and Evaluation: Easier access to video and performance data
Game Planning: Matchups and tendencies are clear and actionable
Here’s a simulated example of a Synergy scouting report for a college basketball team. This mirrors the kind of report a coaching staff would receive when scouting an opponent, based on actual Synergy categories, stats, and video-linked actions.
Synergy Scouting Report: Creighton Bluejays (Men’s Basketball)
Opponent Preview | Sample Report
Record: 24-9
Offensive PPP: 1.05 (Top 15 nationally)
Defensive PPP: 0.91 (Top 20 nationally)
Team Offensive Profile
Top Sets:
Floppy Stagger into DHO (Exit Action)
Double Drag Oklahoma
Iverson Cut into Spain PNR
SLOB – “Screen the Screener” for Pop 3
Team Defensive Profile
Key Player Breakdown
#24 Baylor Scheierman (SG/SF – 6’7”)
Usage: 22.6% of possessions
PPP: 1.15 (All Actions – Elite)
Spot-Up: 1.27 PPP (92nd percentile)
Off Screen: 1.32 PPP (elite coming off Iverson/stagger)
P&R Handler: 1.04 PPP
Defensive Notes: Can be attacked off the bounce; average lateral mobility
#11 Ryan Nembhard (PG – 6’0”)
Pick & Roll Usage: 34.5% of his possessions
Drives Left: 72% of time
Turnover Rate: 17.3% in P&R
Likes to skip to weakside shooter (Scheierman)
#11 Ryan Kalkbrenner (C – 7’1”)
Roll Man: 1.35 PPP (Top 5% in NCAA)
Post-Up Efficiency: 0.96 PPP
Defensive Anchor: Allows 0.79 PPP at rim; elite verticality
Synergy Video Playlists Available:
All Floppy Sets from last 5 games
All Off-Screen Curl Actions for Scheierman
All Defensive P&R Coverages vs Left-Handed Guards
All ATOs from last 10 games
Creighton SLOB & BLOB plays (screen-the-screener, Iverson backscreen options)
Tendencies to Exploit
Switching bigs on floppy screens = vulnerable to slips
Nembhard struggles when hard-hedged
Weakside help late on skip passes = corner 3s available
Post defenders bite on fakes; use delay actions or re-posts
Conclusion
Now- the key is, what do you do with this information? By analyzing their defensive profile, Creighton gives up the most points per possession on post ups and in high pick and roll situations. Offensively, the opposing coach would (should) look to put Creighton in as many high pick and rolls as possible, and if those opportunities don’t score, feed the post late in the clock. This gives them statistically the best opportunity to maximize their points per possession against Creighton based on synergy data. On the other hand, defensively, you need to have a plan set forth to slow them down in transition, limit spot up threes, and take away off ball screening scoring opportunities. The goal would be to force them into post ups or isolation basketball, which they statically are considerably worse at when compared to the other three categories in points per possession.