[ESPN] Rockets' fall this season no reason to bash Morey's analytics focus

What does your occupation have anything to do with anything? You are the one here making assumptions and strawman arguments regarding analytics and their use in the NBA. Just because you are a chemical engineer (which I highly doubt) doesn't mean you understand what analytics are about and their use in the NBA.

Analytics aren't just the future, they are the present in the NBA and the top NBA teams use them in decision making like the SPURS, GSW, Portland and Dallas Mavs. Pointing to the Rox and then saying that it doesn't work is just dumb because there are lots of team who use analytics which are extremely successful, in fact prior to this season the Rockets reached the WCF using analytics.

Being ******* or not has nothing to do with it, the reality is people who say analytics doesn't work in the NBA are just dumb, period. Just like people who said the world would end in 2012 because the Mayan calendar stopped at 2012 or whatever.

 

It's a matter of will and not intelligence.

 

Because ChemE is one of the most math intensive majors out there and he is claiming non-believers just don't understand analytics or their application. I understand them just fine, and you just reiterated the arrogant nonsense coming for your movement. Analytics as a primary driver is what I, and just about everyone else has, said - not that they have no place at all.

 

Is using analytics the same as chasing after every super star? If not then which philosophy do we use?

 

You can blame someone without firing someone. That was what I was getting at all along.

You hire personnel to better make use of them, (assistant or executive that can help Morey in the office), better coaching staff, better role players and so on, better star players even.

Although I must admit, starting from scratch would be interesting and long overdue and something that this organization has not seen in maybe 10 somewhat years or longer?

Les won't allow it.

 

There's no guarantee that starting from scratch will yield you better results. Look at the 76'ers. You can spends years and years down there.

Everyone coming into this season were very excited about the season - it's not as if Morey was blind and everyone was worried. No one foresaw this - not Morey, not the fans, not the coaching staff, not the media - no one.

So yeah, blame Morey but let's be realistic as well and acknowledge that hindsight is always 20/20.

 

I know everyone is literally using the 6ers example to scare folks off.....

Man, you do not have to be last place lol.

Be Minny, Utah. Couple of seasons of Top 5 talent

You get a Love, you get Wiggins and Towns, get some veterans and push hard for a better place.

I did not foresee it but I also did not think last season was a constant.

I predicted 2nd round or 3rd round but with luck as season goal.

Morey has to take the blame, it is part of his job IMO.

 

Hindsight will always be a major factor but thinking outside the box is also key.

Morey lost his hunger, his drive, we saw that with Lawson, he did not make any good moves or tried.

Yup, you can say Beasley or Beverley but at the end of day those cheaper options or former NBA disavowed won't cut it.

You have to acquire top notch talent. You do it if you have to strangle the owner to do so!

 

Pretty much. Just as the pursuit of superstars seem to fill the basket of morey, the compliment pieces are shuffled like cards. I never thought Patterson nor Morris would be game changers, but they would've been good compliments. We didn't get a chance because during transition, they were cast off. This will soon happen to Jones,Donuts,and every other non star player. This is my problem.

 

So basically instead of acquiring Howard, winning 150 plus games, going to the playoffs and having the best season in 20 years, Rockets would have been better served to win 60 games the last few years and reload on talent while being among the worst teams in the league each year.

Makes sense. I trust your Process.

 

Morey has played the card game the wrong way:
He has shuffled the deck until he got 2 aces, but since he never built a foundation the rest of the cards are all low. He will keep hoping those cards will be flipped for better ones now that he has the 2 aces, which will not work and he will still have a weak hand since others (Spurs, Warriors) did build a strong deck and found those aces.

Morey should have focused on building a strong deck with some kings, queens, jacks, tens so when he finally got that ace or two, he would only need to tweak a card here and there over the next few rounds and get a little bit lucky to beat the table. He would have at least had something to work with.

 

Teams also start with getting Aces. You don't get an Ace without other Aces on board unless you are NYC or LA.

Warriors got their first Aces when they were cheap and they had easier time to build that "foundation" because the Queens/Jacks were also cheap and young. Not a luxury for Morey.

Spurs had multiple Aces that have been consistently good for years who were initially drafted cheap and have now again decided to become that cheap foundation in their old age for the reloaded new Aces. Not something that can be replicated.

 

Think most of us don't have a problem with the analytics approach, the problem is Morey not assembling the right players and coaching staff.

 

True, Leslie is partly responsible but I'm sure Morey is fine with chasing stars rather than building a strong team. This off season will be no different. We will wait on the aces to make a decision before 'settling' for cheap contracts and questionable fits. I just hope KD makes his mind up soon so they are forced to finally work on getting good supporting players who fit the philosophy!

 

Those who think analytics are just one small tool in an NBA organization are more interested in fixing themselves than fixing their team. It's a bit childish when you consider where analytics has brought us in the NBA today, which teams are using it, which people are not known for it, etc.

 

I'm not sure what Morey's penchant for analytics has to do with the team's biggest failures this year: Lawson's inability to fill the second playmaker role, and the team's gaping hole at the power foward position.

Unless the stats led Morey to believe that DMo and Jones would be an effective PF rotation?

 

http://hoopshype.com/2015/11/19/the-nba-is-destroying-every-three-point-shooting-record-again/

 

This. It's also worth noting that the Warriors, more or less, followed some key parts of Morey's model and it works. They have a ton of shooters and Draymond Green is basically what we had hoped Morris, Jones, Motie (all the "tweeners" we would complain about) became. GSW is an analytics team, and it doesn't hurt to have the best three point shooter of all time.

 

...who also plays great D.

 

Every single Warriors player this season who was on the court the court for more than 10 minutes per game and actually regularly attempted 3 point FGs shot the three at a clip greater than 35%.

So that's: Steph, Klay, Green, Barnes, Iguodola, Barbosa, Rush, and Speights.

Eight guys who shoot the three at 35% are better, three of them shot it at over 40%.

The Rockets had a guy that shot the three at a 27% clip this past season. Yet the same guy still attempted 224 3pt FGs.

I don't even remember where I was going with this post, so I'll just leave it with this... Analytics or not, some **** needs to change.