http://thepaintedarea.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-jason-kidd-and-win-time-and-greatest.html Interesting read on analytics and "clutch" stats. Seems the Mavs favor some metrics the Rockets do not.
Front seat, back seat. Are we talking basketball or.... Spoiler ? Jesus, it's so asinine... Cuban himself said the stats played an important role, but (of course) not the only role or even the most important. What matters is that it's a tool that smart people have successfully applied to the game. It's foolish to not use all available resources-- just like it would be foolish not to acquire all available talent.
As stats go, the Rockets strike me as pretty conservative. They collect tons of information, but they are very careful and reserved about the conclusions they draw from them. I think Morey said the Rockets don't put much stock into clutch stats, and similarly they don't have much confidence in stats that try to quantify a player's mental makeup. The Mavs, on the other hand, seem to be big believers in those things and are willing to spend lots of money based on those beliefs.
First of all the Knicks are a damm train wreck. Some teams are beyond help when the owner is a moron. The Blazers on the other hand are the victims of what the Rockets have been victims of, injuries. Where would the Blazers be if Roy and Oden had not gotten hurt?? I dont think it would be "not winning jack". Cuban has payed a tax damm near every year since it started. Im not saying using statistical models don't help--but everything starts with the ability to take his billion and buy any player he needs. Let me see these "geeks" work the miracle of putting a good playoff team together under the cap. If they tried, all that number crunching and "modeling" pretty much goes out the window.
You seem to think that statistical analyis precludes a team from spending money. Why is that? Just because Billy Beane used Moneyball to build a contending team on a lower payroll that doens't mean that is always the case. Theo Epstein is a leading moneyball GM and the Red Sox payroll has approached $200M in recent years.
Hollinger mentions that Cuban hired Rick Carlisle partly because he was impressed by how often Carlisle used his top efficiency roster during games. And this is before Carlisle was in Dallas and had a coterie of stat geeks behind him. Hmm, I wonder if Morey can say the same thing about McHale.
Donnie Walsh is the GM, Cuban is the owner, if you own, that is fine, but isn't it funny that he finally takes a back seat and let's the basketall people do their thing and they win. DD
Yup, and this means that either Morey lied and was dishonest and manipulated numbers or the statistical models he showed Bosh had some serious, serious flaws. Either way, he looks pretty silly now.
Cuban took a back seat in terms of his antics on the sideline. I thought your comment was in regard to management decisions. You think he took a backseat in managing the team? As I said, in that respect I always thought he was pretty hands on. Maybe that's not the case.
It's not just Hollinger - I believe Cuban himself stated the hiring of Carlisle was heavily based upon statistics during one of the MIT Sports Analytics conferences. Remember the Jason Kidd over Devon Harris pick Cuban had to defend repeatedly? Yikes.
Maybe he was worth 4m to the Rockets? (With Yao we were contenders, without him, not so much) Or maybe Morey knew Orlando was going to match the contract? We paid Brad Miller 4M+ last summer, I have a hard time believing we would balk at a couple of millions (total contract length).
Cuban as an owner is definitely ahead of the curve in the use of statistical analysis. He may currently be the only owner who can take part in discussions. On the other hand, owners like Les Alexander will have to rely on the Dork Elvises of the world.
(1) minutes played, (2) the comparative size of Cuban's and Alexander's bank accounts? Gortat hadn't played many minutes before he became a FA, there is a question as to whether to trust info generated in a small sample size, whether it's statistical info or non-statistical info. Teams may have different methods or different appetite for risk. As many have pointed out, since Orlando matched his contract, the difference in salaries offered ended up being irrelevant. By the way, do you recall any instances during Morey's tenure where the Rockets lost FA due to insufficient salaries offered -- i.e. where they would have gotten a guy if they had offered more-- and later lived to regret it?
Just like in any business different companies operate under different circumstances and constraints. If I decide not to buy a $70,000 car does that mean that it's a bad decision for a millionaire to buy one? If a team significantly over the cap decides not to slightly overpay for a player then does that mean that it's a bad move for a team way under the cap to slightly overpay the same player ? Those are obviously extreme examples but you get the point. Your circumstances factor into the decision making. Nobody, including the Rockets run their team 100% by statistics. The Mavs have deeper pockets than the Rockets. The Mavs are big proponents of using statistical analysis. Those things are not mutually exclusive. Lots of money will definitely help you build your roster and statistical analysis can help you in making decisions on how to use those resources. That's exactly what the Mavs did. Regardless of what your financial situation, statistical analysis is another tool to help you be more productive. They aren't a magic formula that drives everything as some on this board seem to think. How many times has Morey said that they don't just use statistical analysis? I don't believe that the Rockets are asking their coaches to not make traditional basketball evaluations. I think that they are simply asking them to be open to making use of statistical information to suplement what they already do.
That is reasonable, but I still believe a stats guy should not be the GM, but rather should be in support of a good GM. Stats guys in general are not great managers of people, and while Morey has made strides there, IMO, that has been his biggest weakness, the way he talks to the press in a "Matter of fact" manner leaves a lot to be desire in the management department. Les hiring Morey as GM was a big risk, and it is hard to guage just how good Morey could be because Les is essentially cheap. Again, to me, I would rather have Morey in an assistant GM capacity, and someone that is better at people management running the show. That being said...the biggest negative to me is Les. DD
Why don't you list examples of Alexander being cheap DD? I can list examples of Alexander spending even if it isn't required, why don't you list examples of him being a cheap ass which cost the team in performance?
the true innovator for the mavs is long gone. don nelson bet on dirk and it finally paid off. the mavs have made an impressive run these playoffs, however cuban has been the leader on the statistical analysis front for about seven seasons. he got his championship but to now go, yeah the stats did it. you can't ignore the money he spent.
Look at the Mavs payroll and willingness to spend or go over the luxury tax. Les has been making bank on Yao being here, and with insurance payments covering his biggest payroll costs, yet has not gone all in to get the team better. While I agree with bringing in Courtney Lee, it still had $$ as one of it's motivating factors. Have you ever noticed how Morey goes out of his way to praise Les and his willingness to spend, yet Les rarely really spends? Sure he buys draft picks, but most of that money is from a hugely profitable insurance payment from the years before...which goes right to the bottom line. Les is not Mark Cuban or Jerry Buss...... DD
