[ClutchFans] Interview with future Rocket GM Daryl Morey

nice interview clutch!


and... DeAleck got owned.

 

I've always favored the BPA philosophy in draft. The draft is such a hit-or-miss business as is. You want to maximize the probability of getting a good player. If you look at only the players you "need" you are reducing your chances for getting good value.

You fill your needs by trade or FA signing, getting proven players rather than taking odds on unproven rookies. If you get a good young player who somehow doesn't fit your team, you can trade him for an equal-valued guy who does.

 

Haha, attorney usually has something more important to argue about than this Morey guy.

 

Question:-
Sorry for my ignorance! Would appreciate someone [Sam Fisher]telling me exactly what is the Moneyball Approach? Thanks

 

This link has much of the info you're asking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball

In a nutshell, Moneyball is a valuation system that puts a major emphasis on statistics.

 

m_cable I thank you for helping me out here but can't see the logic association of 'Moneyball' and the statistical way of doing business as a Basketball GM.

 

Daryl Morey,
He's our new Joe Torre,
hope he finds us
the next Robert Horry!

 

delete (damn)

 

No, you are wrong!

 

Moneyball.

I played 4-on-4 lunchtime basketball a couple of days a week for about 20 years. I could pick out three teammates that were great teammates and win more games than expected. By that I mean that three of the four individual matchups didn't look advantageous for my team (I was often one of them)-- but we could still win more than our share and way more than our expected share.

Moneyball is about often overlooked nuance that makes a difference. I should be GM....

 

Well, my definition of a scrub is anyone who doesn't start consisently. Which is what we are very likely drafting this year. What if we're dissastisfied with everybody available (very likely in a draft this weak)? We have to pick somebody, and the difference in talent this year is minimal between our eventual pick and the 10 guys taken after him. So we might as well draft for need.

Yeah. Diop might have pushed the Cavs over the Pistons this year.

 

Only if the talent difference was significant. Which is not likely this year, especially for the guys available at #8. When the talent difference is minimal, we might as well draft for need.

 

That probably won't happen. But in your scenario, if the Rox (or any team, in virtually any sport) have guys #8 through 18 rated even and were indifferent to them - they (and any team with a sane GM) would trade down rather than saying "f-k it, I might as well draft for need!" That's simply rational acting and value maximization, and transcends basketball.

Not more than any number of all stars or solid NBA players drafted after him. What's the point of this speculation?

 

I disagree with the idea that this is an unusually weak draft. People say that every year. Does it seem weak because there's no clear cut #1? Doesn't mean there wont be some great NBA players out of this draft.

I think more players will actually contribute because you don't have the high schoolers. The guys in this draft have played some college ball and there's really only 2 highly rated foreign guys in Andrea and Splitter.

Do you think Gay/Roy/Carney can't do what Wesley did for us this year?

 

This year's draft IS pretty weak, if only for the reason that no high schoolers are allowed to enter.

 

So you are saying that way back when , when the rox traded Moses Malone and needed a center they shouldnt have selected Hakeem in the draft, or when they traded Hakeem and needed a center they shouldn't have selected Yao Ming in the draft ??
You can't have your cake and eat it!

 

First, of course if you have two equally good players, you pick the one who you need most. That's not what we are arguing here.

Second, how significant the talent difference is remains to be seen. Every draft has busts picked at the top and gems picked at the bottom. That's why scouting all available players and pick from that is better than focusing only on what you think you need.

 

We picked Olajuwan because he was the better available player, not because he was a center. In fact, we already had a great center in Ralph Sampson when we pick Dream. If we went for need, we would have picked a perimeter player.

Same thing, Yao Ming was the best player in the draft, regardless of his position. We happened to also need a center. We were VERY lucky.

 

Yetti, I often disagree with you but about every 6 months I think you either just lose your mind or any grasp of the Enlish language. Serious brainlock you occasionally have going on.

1. Are you saying Dream wasn't #1 on all but a very few draft board?

2. Since we'd drafted the most highly rated center to come along since Kareem the year before our biggest area of need was clearly a center?

3. When we drafted Yao, we had Franchise, Cat, 2nd year EG. Which 3 would you argue would have possibly been an option? I know Yao was a highly controversial overall #1, but how can you now argue that Yao wasn't the BPA?

Amare fixation? Yeah, only 8 other teams passed on him and his knees are as big as question as T-Mac's back.

Easy I just read your response to Yetti, and I think you were quite generous.