http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/10982/tuesday-bullets-163 [rquoter] Remember Michael Lewis' famous cover story about Shane Battier? It was huge in my world. People talk about it all the time. It was meaningful peek into a new way of assessing players. Today, two pieces of insight: Chris Ballard, in a podcast, says that none of Battier's teammates knew about that article. Just wasn't a big deal in the players' worlds. And on the same day, we learn that Kobe Bryant found that story very interesting, and asked one of Tim Grover's employees to prepare reports for him much like the Rockets give Battier. So, some players were paying attention. [/rquoter] Here's a podcast with Chris Ballard (author of The Art of Beautiful Game, which you should go buy right now): http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2009/11/24/talking-about-practice-episode-3/ [rquoter] ... We chat for about 45 minutes and focus on the book for the most part, beginning with the shooting contest Ballard had with Suns GM Steve Kerr before getting into some stuff about his college-basketball playing days and just a general discussion about sportswriting in this modern multimedia age. But we soon pull it all back to the NBA more directly and focus in on how Shane Battier plays defense, how Kobe has virtually no weaknesses, how Houston embraces advanced stats/game charting and all that jazz. Then we finish with the 10 Questions and call it a day. [/rquoter] <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://www.bothteamsplayedhard.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Episode3_Ballard.mp3" width="400" height="27" allowscriptaccess="never" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" wmode="window" flashvars="playerMode=embedded" /> And how Kobe was influenced by the Battier piece: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-kobesweetchuck061709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns [rquoter] There had been a long New York Times magazine story on the Rockets and how their general manager, Daryl Morey, uses a Moneyball-esque formula in basketball. They had statistical theories on how to defend Bryant, how to best limit him and Procopio wanted to make sure Bryant read the story. Bryant already had. He misses nothing. Bryant wanted Procopio to dig up everything he could on the ways opposing coaches and scouts – in Houston and beyond – believed Bryant could be vulnerable. “If these people think this stuff works, then I want to see what they’re looking at and make my adjustments accordingly, if this is how they decide they want to play me,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports in a private moment last week. “I’ll willingly accept that, to see if I can’t shut that down. I wanted him to take a look at the research and see if there’s anything that’s anything worth me preparing over or studying.” [/rquoter]
i hate kobe so freaking much but I respect him more than any other player in the league that isnt on the Rockets
Our whole strategy demonstrates that we respect Kobe as an opponent, and Kobe paying attention to what we are doing demonstrates that Kobe respects Shane to the same end. Good stuff, great informative post.
One of the reasons why Kobe is an all-time great. Like him or hate him (I can't stand him), you will never outwork him
I used to hate him! But the last 2 years I've changed my mind --> I don't LIKE him as a player, but he certainly isn't in the Karla Malone club. Grudging respect.
This occurred to me when they gave Battiers techniques so much attention. I thought to myself this information is probably best kept secret.
I think Battier defends him well but this is such a joke. It went from Shane getting no respect as a defender from the mainstream media to him suddenly becoming the Kobe-Stopper!!
I think he started getting that reputation (which is silly -- no such thing as a Kobe stopper) when we won our 22nd straight game a couple seasons ago.
Kobe has a good idea there. Morey should come up with a report on how to stop Brooks and Scola and give it to them. They can figure out how to overcome the oppenent's options to defend them. It could be a good report for Chase Budinger also. Ariza's report would be to easy. Make him dribble.
This is all great stuff except for the inconvenient fact that many including Michael Lewis have ignored, which is that Kobe's numbers have actually increased since Battier arrived here in Houston.
His numbers have increased against the league since Battier arrived here. The Rockets have limited Kobe's efficiency and his passing better than any other team since the 06/07 season.
Didn't I read somewhere that Kobe started practicing with a hand in his face or a blindfold or something?
nice. nothing about tmac in there and yet you manage to turn this nice thread into a tmac bashing thread.
