When thinking about analytics and professional sports, former NBA player Charles Barkley is not usually the first person that comes to mind.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the oft-controversial TNT analyst went off on a bit of a rant, which targeted the analytics community, specifically a tweet sent out by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZf9NFaCQHQ
If you are looking for someone to transcribe the blabbering words that came out of Barkley’s mouth, look elsewhere.
But here’s some of the “highlights.”
Just because you’ve got good stats doesn’t mean you’re a good team defensively. They’re (the Rockets) not a good defensive team. Give up 118 points – no good team gives up 118 points.
Analytics don’t work at all. It’s just some crap some people who are really smart made up to try to get in the game because they had no talent.
Analytics don’t work. What analytics did the Miami Heat? What analytics did the Bulls have? What analytics do the Spurs have? They have the best players. They have coaching staffs who make players better.
That last part is where it gets rather interesting (and mind numbing). San Antonio possesses one of the biggest analytics departments in the entire NBA. To say that some of the teams that have had success over the years didn’t use “math” is an absolute joke.
This didn’t stop Barkley from continuing his verbal assault on the “nerds.”
All these guys who run these organizations who talk about analytics, they have one thing in common. They’re a bunch of guys who ain’t never played the game, and they never got the girls in high school. And they just want to get in the game.
Playing the “couldn’t get girls” card is epic. It reminds me of the argument 15-year-old “jocks” would use when nerds showed them up in class. This is taking the entire argument to obscenely immature levels.
Barkley should know one thing. The two-best teams in the NBA—the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors—utilize strong analytics departments. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr surrounds himself with assistants that have experience in this department. Meanwhile, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer is a part of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree.
Times are changing, and these old school thoughts are about to be thrown into the dustbin of history…right with Barkley’s takes.