#NBA2K23 and the NEW ANALYTICS movement

WELCOME TO THE NEW ANALYTICS ERA ?

It has come to most of NBA watchers, fans, neutrals, and analytics lovers that the NBA has started again... and ...

... Once again the soap opera has started on Social media, '#NBA Twitter' ...has had already several emotional 'Digital Meltdown' ... around luminaries as mercurial as Kyrie 'Uncle Drew' Irving, Kevin Durant, the entire Nets management, Philadelphia's ongoing drama-loaded 'Process', the 'not-so-squeaky-clean' champions Golden state and 'that punch', etc, etc...

Whilst in the meantime the 'Slovenian Maverick' that is .. Luka Donkic, is averaging per game: 33Pts - 8,3 rebounds - 8 assists! --> Impressive datas that the most mercurial of talents coming out of 'little known Slovenia' is currently following (at a 'relative distance', still) the footpath of the great Wilt Chamberlain... with his team, the Dallas Maverick.

" The revolution will not be Googlelized' (Jill-scott heron, 2022/Remix)

Advanced-Athletic-analytics wizards like Denver nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Los Angeles Laker's Lebron James, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokoumpo, or.. James Harden seem to have already broken the basketball analytics matrix' so to speak, and seem to have mastered the 'cheat-code' to send their analytics to unseen levels..

..Beyond the 'Moneyballs" aspect of it all, there is also an element of the video streaming war going on...all over Social Media: The 'Meme war' has just started, too...it seems...(More on that later)

That streaming war should unleash creativity through uncharted territories.. and will definitely provide another set of hypnotic hype-reels on '#NBA youtube' produced with smart music by the usual crowd of Youtube musicmakers, like the one here below:

" The ball will find the energy" (Mike D'Anthony)

The new analytics era of basket-ball, shall be define along the lines of :

** Pace and space basket-ball

* 'Position-less' offence

** Use of small-ball line-ups to unsettle opposing teams

* Have the players continuously running 'Up and down the coirt'

** Operate with a Data-driven coaching staff

* NBA Players are becoming Data-conscious, even on Social Media..

** NBA players are driving the cultural debate on Social Media

* NBA players should Shoot with confidence, from beyond the three-point lines

Etc, etc..

OK..Let's explain all that, with a little bit of context, in 6 POINTS, below:

1. ENTER ... MIKE '7 SECONDS OR LESS' D'ANTONI

Youtube, Twitter, #ESPN,... and the natural #NBA content spread over severaal online platforms has turned highlights into an almost 'cult' with droves of online fans communities looping those 'Hype-reels' day-in, day-out... and maybe...deserting the 'old-fashioned' 48 minutes-long format (?)

The arrival of the new analytics movement personified none other by the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors.

For the Rockets it started in 2016, until 2021 when the unique 'Unholy trinity' of Super-Guard, James Harden, Daryl Morey as General Manager, and Mike D'Antoni, as a 'Disruptive' coach famous for his previous team, the Phoenix Suns style-of-play:

* '7 seconds or less' offence, and ...ALL THREE combined, revolutionized 'heliocentric Basket-ball', for good.

The offence then revolved like the earth around the sun, in a rotation of athletic '3 and D' players on the wing and just a 'rim-runner', whose job is to run, dunk and block, inside the paint, supporting the effort of the star guard... 'Dribble-Dribble' James Harden.

" You coach long enough, eventually you gonna get fired!" (Mike D'Antoni)

** James Harden, as a 'Super-Guard' whose use of the 'Bake n shake' art of dribbling and 'Step-back three' (One-legged shoot, beyond the 3 Points-line) exploded statistical sheets and broke several records, according to #Statmuse.com:

* Most three-points shots attempts EVER, in a game of Basket-ball, by a team in 2016: 61 attempts !

* James Harden averaging an almost 'Triple-double' of 29.1 Pts per game - 8,1 rebounds per game and 11, 2 assists in 2016-17!

Highest usage rate per season by a player: A stat 'owned' by the most 'heliocentric' and unorthodox of shooter: James Harden, too !

Charles Barkley On Analytics: "They Made It Up Because All These Rich Dudes Who Own These Teams Want To Get Their Son-In-Law A Job."

• Highest number of 'small ball' line-ups by a team per season: Houston Rockets !

As hypnotic, post-modernist and balletic as James Harden might be, his Houston Rockets never travelled beyond the NBA Western conference finals, despite being one of the most entertaining team of its era....

Nor did actually, the Oklahoma City Thunder whose use of small ball line ups, built around the 'BIG3' of James Harden, Kevin 'KD' Durrant and Russel 'Triple-double' Westbrook, in the 2009-16 time-frame, never won a trophy either, but ...was thrilling to watch, nevertheless...

2. ENTER THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 'GOLDEN DYNASTY'

As hypnotic as James Harden, but much more reliant on a system rather than... an 'heliocentric super-star'...

... The Splash Brothers and their 'extended' cousin Draymond Green, will explode analytics and stats sheets with a high octane offence made of ball movement and altruism, concluded by long range shooting barrages, way beyond the three point line...and way beyond old statistical 'ceilings':

The Golden State Warriors unlike the Rockets, have been able to win 4 NBA Championship titles, the last one in 2022 !!

To build that dynasty, coaches Mark Jackson, then Steve Kerr, were able to rely on... The 'Long range Super-shooter' Steph Curry whom seems to be at first, as 'Heliocentric' as James Harden, but ...but .... was also able to share that responsability with others..and rather 'gladly', too!

Cue, the excellent supporting cast of Klay Thompson, the other part of the 'Splash Brotherhood', as they are known around the Bay area of San Francisco, now...

Nevertheless, .. History will probably look at James Harden the way peoples look at 'Uncle' Charles Barkley today:

An unlucky 'top player' who was born at the same time as the 'Generational talent' of his era - Michael Jordan for Barkley.... Steph Curry for James Harden... - who made more money ($317 millions) as a broadcaster than as a player (Check link, below) !!

You are only as good as your foe (?)...

3. DATA-DOERS Vs DATA-MAKERS ?

We will not forget to mention 'Cousin Draymond GREEN' and his Ostentuous' podcast (Listen above) which has had warriors fans around the world, gripped to Dray's drips...

Nor..Kevin 'KD' Durrant, Jordan 'Pool Party' POOL...or Andre Iguadola, etc, etc...

The list is long: The Warriors prided themselves on being more of than just a team --> It's a dynasty!

An NBA 'dynasty' is a long-term sport development project around a generation of 'generational' gifted talents surrounded by a few 'veteran' players...

NOW.. if we bring down the debate as to how those statistical and analytical basket-ball datasets could have been exploded...??

Well... Most datasets will behove the Data analyst and his team, to act upon variables....Variables? Yes, va-ria-bles... It's easy to get...follow us ... In statistics, variables have two defining characteristics:

•A variable is an attribute that describes a person, place, thing, or idea.

•The value of the variable can "vary" from one entity to another.

3.1. Qualitative Vs Quantitative Variables

Variables can be classified as qualitative (aka, categorical) or quantitative (aka, numeric).

•Qualitative. :

The value of a qualitative variable is a name or a label. The color of a ball (e.g., red, green, blue) or the team's name or attribute like 'Forward', 'Point Guard' or 'Point God', 'Wing', '3 and D" ...  would be examples of qualitative or categorical variables.

•Quantitative:

 The value of a quantitative variable is a number. For example, when we speak of the population of a city, we are talking about the number of people in the city - a numerical attribute of the city.

Therefore, here, population.. would be a quantitative variable.

4. DATA, ONLINE INFLUENCE AND THE NBA PERMANENT SOAP OPERA

To be able to manipulate a variable you will therefore need a mix of on-the-ground, or... 'On-Field-experience ....and ... 'OFF-FIELD experience' in the analytic room !

--> An analyst that can understand his or her set of variables and their limitations on the ground, for example will always be a better analyst than a 'cchemiccally pure statistician' whose never set foot inside a basket-ball training ground ! (#Doh!)

It has been quite a journey to witness the arrival of the 'Numbers peoples' in the NBA dressing-rooms ... and those first 'Data-analysts' did raise a few eyebrows, as they were unable to communicate their analytical inputs to the players ! (Nothing new there, by the way..)

It even prompted 'rotound NBA Pundit', Charles Barkley to famously say:

On Analytics -> "They Made It Up Because All These Rich Dudes Who Own These Teams Want To Get Their Son-In-Law.. A Job."

For sure, at first, it seemed like 'smart guys' had found a way to get back in the game by the 'back-door', after being quicked out of it, in High-school...(#Lol)

However, this is by any account a typical tale of the digital transformation you've been talked about:

* Data analyst will probably threaten most jobs as most supply chain management, processes, procedures will be digitalized and will therefore produce data!

** Another phenomenon you could expect is the automation process that will come with it: Data engineers will want to collect Data Live as they happen and will help produce the non-intrusive garments or uniforms to achieve that goal.

* THE FINDINGS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE WELL-TRAINED TEAMS COULD THEN BE, SHOCKING .. for 'untrained teams of Data-analyst and 'Data-actioner' (The person, 'problem-solver', who applies the data analyst insights on the ground, facing the public or the problem)

5. OUTLIERS and POTENTIAL INSIGHTS (?) :

If centres and 'BIG' have to shoot and dribble a bit more to enable this new 'PACE and SPACE NBA', then maybe, just maybe one day... guards will have to post-up a bit more when initiating the pick-and-roll, and go back to shooting from the mid-range distance ! (#WhyNot?) ...

'Trust the process or 'Automate the process' (Anonimous Philladelphia 76ers, fan)

Once it is all said and done, automation will happen: at that point, you will expect universities, coaching schools, or 'self-taught' (via #Youtube, for example) staffs and coaches, will have understood how important it is for them to be able to manipulate Data, themselves !

Otherwise, others will take their jobs without the qualifications to speak to a professional NBA player! Hiring a 'Data translator' would not make economic sense... - --> THIS ABERRATION HAS TO BE CORRECTED!

Data analysts must be 'specialists in their given fields' in order to keep 'locker rooms' unity, trust, morale and balance sheet harmony.

It is paramount that Data analyst specialize in a given fields to be able to really provide first, value... and second, pertinent, optimized insights to its clients, or team! --> You have to sell your data! : You have to 'sell' your insights !

The value of your insights will increase if you've had 'frontline experience' with the problem to be solved !

6. LOOKING AT THE FUTURE:

Is NBA's #ADC, or 'Athletes-Driven content', in Podcasting and say, Social Media... there to stay ?:

Well .. that's the million dollar question... isnti' it? The overall sentiment analysys on Social Media, says that it is an almost 'perfect-match' if you listen to two of the MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS like:

Kevin 'Easy Money sniper' Durrant and Steph Curry, whom both are reknown for 'seeing and reading everything' that is happening on Social Media, culturally, around the #NBA...

* Going back to Data-analysis for a minute... We are not saying that 'Data-Swiss-army-knives' do not have room for opportunity in any given fields, but in that case, maybe they shouldn't be facing clients or professionals in need to be reassured before performing at the highest level of their ability.

** Coaches and their staff, should therefore, be versed and learned in the art of Data management, or 'Data-literate', and to some extent, the players will have to become a bit more 'Data-centrics' too !

--> Wouldn't you expect... also professional players to be able to read their own dashboard of KPIs for training and performance, in the end !(?) ..You would...wouldn't you (?)

Hum....

* What do you think ? :

' Should Data analyst be 'specialized' in a particular field (Finance, NBA, Oil drilling,...) or should they be 'Jack of All trades' and jump from one industry to the nex one, regardless of their background? '

Answer and comment below, pleaze !

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HD