Build A Hooper blog
Historical Data vs. Original Assessments: How Our Ratings Are Made
By PENG CHAI · Published
Build A Hooper keeps three layers separate: historical facts from pinned sources through the 2021–22 season, original site-created assessments such as DNA bands and fit labels, and fictional simulation output. This post shows where each layer comes from — and why the game uses bands instead of 0–99 numbers.
Layer one — historical facts
Player identities and limited biographical facts come from pinned Wikidata records (CC0). Historical performance inputs come from a pinned FiveThirtyEight snapshot (CC BY 4.0), ending with the 2021–22 NBA season. Both sources are pinned, attributed, and documented on the data sources page. Missing fields stay missing; the game never guesses a value to fill a gap.
Layer two — original assessments
DNA contribution bands, fit labels, archetypes, strengths, and trade-offs are created by Build A Hooper under a versioned method (bah-original-bands-v1). A source metric is never displayed as a Build A Hooper rating, and a Build A Hooper rating is never presented as an official measurement. The two layers touch only inside the documented method.
Layer three — fictional simulation
Season ranges, the three Big Calls, outcome labels, and the closing report are fictional simulation output. They exist to make a run readable and replayable — not to evaluate any real player.
Why bands instead of numbers
Bands communicate uncertainty honestly. A 0–99 scale implies a precision the inputs do not support and invites comparisons the game does not make. Broad bands — developing, steady, impact, standout — tell you what a choice does without pretending to rank real people.
Corrections and rights concerns
If you believe a record is wrong or raises a rights concern, email support@buildahooper.dev. An affected record can be suspended while it is reviewed.
The full source list, licenses, and modification notes live on the data sources page; the versioned method is documented in the methodology; for why the archive stops where it does, read why our historical archive ends at the 2021–22 season.