John Hollinger is an influential figure in the field of quantitative analysis in basketball.

Hollinger, a freelance writer, developed the website Alleyoop.com in 1996, initially as hobby and sounding board for his musings on the game. Touting the site as "The Basketball Page for Thinking Fans," Hollinger followed in the footsteps of noted analysts Dean Oliver and Bill Bellotti in a quest for the ultimate basketball statistic.

During Alleyoop 's early years, Hollinger experimented with offensive and defensive ratings (points created and allowed per 100 possessions) in much the same way as Oliver, as a means of quantifying a player's overall contribution to his team. While the methods were hardly groundbreaking, Hollinger's writing style and incisive commentary caught the eye of such industry luminaries as Web Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

Hollinger spent the next three years as the sports editor at OregonLive.com, developing an intimate understanding of the inner workings of the NBA, both as a game and a business. It was during his OregonLive years that Hollinger developed his most significant contribution to basketball statistics: his Player Efficiency Rating (PER), a figure that attempts to combine all of a player's contributions into one number. Many experts regard the PER as the best all-in-one basketball stat ever developed, while others are not convinced.

After his successful stint in Portland, Hollinger was hired as the basketball editor at SI.com, Sports Illustrated 's online sister site. In 2002, Hollinger took the plunge from the internet to the printed page, publishing the first Pro Basketball Prospectus. It was a revelation for NBA fans: Hollinger's style and frankness were reminicent of a young, Abstract-era Bill James.

Hollinger has authored two more Prospectuses, now called Pro Basketball Forecasts, while his Sports Illustrated work remains as popular as ever.

Hollinger now lives in Atlanta, with his wife Judy.

External links

• Alleyoop.com, Hollinger's home site
• Hollinger's articles at SI
• KnickerBlogger.net, home of constantly updated PER's