Igor Vuckovic¹, László Rátgéber², Dóra Nagy², Dimitrije Čabarkapa³, Mladen Mikic⁴, Filip Kukić¹

¹Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, RS, Bosnia and Herzegovina
²Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
³Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory – Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
⁴Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Load Dynamics in Basketball: Insights from Wins and Losses

Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2026, 15(1), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.260301

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to: determine differences in external and internal load in professional male basketball players between winning and losing game outcomes during official in-season games; identify differences in external and internal loads between backcourt and frontcourt players in both winning and losing games; and examine if load variables impact the Performance Index Rating (PIR). Using the performance monitoring system (Kinexon), 20 player load metrics were analysed for eight athletes. Paired sample t-tests or their nonparametric equivalents, independent sample t-tests or their nonparametric equivalents, and stepwise regression analysis were used to examine statistically significant differences and determine the association of load variables with PIR. The results revealed no significant differences between the winning and losing game outcomes in external and internal load metrics on a general and partial level. However, significant differences were observed between backcourt and frontcourt players in both winning and losing matches. Training impulse, average heart rate, and Sprints explained 53% (adjusted R2=0.53, p<0.001) of the variance in PIR of backcourt players, while Accumulated Acceleration Load and number of Accelerations explained 46% (adjusted R2=0.462, p=0.02) of the variance in PIR of frontcourt players. While player loads did not directly impact game outcomes, they did affect players' PIR and varied by playing position. These insights are valuable for the head coach and the team's strength and conditioning personnel and could aid in the development of tailored training programs to enhance player performance and recovery.

Keywords

backcourt players, frontcourt players, PIR, Kinexon, performance analysis

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