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[Deadspin-from APBRmetrics Forum] Lies, Dang Lies and Statistics...

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Hayesfan, Aug 13, 2009.

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  1. Hayesfan

    Hayesfan Member

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    http://deadspin.com/5336974/an-assist-for-nick-van-exel-how-an-nba-scorekeeper-cooked-the-books

    http://www.sonicscentral.com/apbrmetrics/viewtopic.php?t=2269

    In January 1997, the Lakers' Nick Van Exel handed out 23 assists in a 95-82 victory over Vancouver, a feat less attributable to his sharpshooting teammates than to the numbers-fudging Lakers fan working the Grizzlies' scorer's table.

    Last month, someone on the APBRmetrics forum — an APBRmetrician, for the uninitiated, is a sabermetrician in a Wes Unseld throwback jersey — posted a friend's account of life as an NBA scorekeeper, mostly as an illustration of all the bias and sanctioned bull**** afflicting even the most straightforward basketball statistics. It's fascinating. This fellow says he was formerly the Grizzlies' head "stats accumulation guy," and, to hear him tell it, the teams and the league see their official statisticians almost as an arm of their marketing departments. Plump up some numbers, and SportsCenter might just bring itself to show a Grizzlies highlight.

    At one point, the guy reviewed his colleagues around the league. He found that the typical NBA stat crew averaged about 20 unintentional errors per game — "missing events, wrong players getting credit unintentionally."

    Which is how, one night in Vancouver, Nick Van Exel nearly tied Magic Johnson's team record for assists in a game.

    This went both ways. The anonymous scorekeeper reports that he once penalized Dikembe Mutombo simply because he didn't like him. Man does not block in the house of the vindictive scorekeeper.

    Now, if any of this is true and as widespread as the guy suggests, it's obviously a problem for a league working assiduously to convince fans it's not some rigged carny game. Otherwise, everything gets called into question. Did Scott Skiles really hand out 30 assists? Did Elmore Smith really block 17 shots in a game? Did Don MacLean really have an NBA career, or was he just some scorekeeper's generous fudge?
     
    #1 Hayesfan, Aug 13, 2009
  2. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    the games are all on tape, shouldn't be that hard to figure it out. I would guess that a lot of these biases even out over 1 million NBA games though....
     
    #2 SamFisher, Aug 13, 2009
  3. Dave_78

    Dave_78 Member

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    LOL

    I never thought about this all that much but reading it I didn't feel a bit surprised. We all know the refs make so many mistakes in some games it seems like they are trying to screw the game up and they are supposed to be the cream of the crop. We shouldn't be surprised that lesser trained, under-scrutinized people will make even more mistakes as well as let their own personal feelings affect how they do their job.

    It wouldn't be such a big deal if individual stats were not such a big part of the game but they are. I would love to hear Morey's take on this considering his disdain for box scores.
     
    #3 Dave_78, Aug 13, 2009
  4. sbyang

    sbyang Member

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    I bet it was pretty bad in the old days, but with all the instant box score updates on the net, the ability to watch game and box score at the same time, and the advent of fantasy sports to motivate people to do so, the bias is getting better. You still have some ridiculous assists credited every now and again, but the rest of the stats are legit.
     
    #4 sbyang, Aug 13, 2009
  5. Raven

    Raven Member

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    But ESPN doesn't have time to talk about this, not when A Rod's new celebrity babe wants to have a child with him, so you guys need to stop hating and get your priorities straight.

    :)
     
    #5 Raven, Aug 13, 2009
  6. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    More reason to love Deke.
     
    #6 Ziggy, Aug 13, 2009
  7. BimaThug

    BimaThug Resident Capologist
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    Thank goodness the Rockets have the No Stats All-Star, Shane Battier!

    :D ;) :p
     
    #7 BimaThug, Aug 13, 2009
  8. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Member

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    Battier's been paying off official scorers to fake his adjusted on/off court +/- for years and years.
     
    #8 Carl Herrera, Aug 14, 2009
  9. AstroRocket

    AstroRocket Member

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    LOL :D
     
    #9 AstroRocket, Aug 14, 2009
  10. thumps

    thumps Member

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    We've all seen how scary this glare is...and Yao has too...Yikes!
     
    #10 thumps, Aug 14, 2009
  11. roslolian

    roslolian Member

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    +1. With technology the way it is now I don't think guys who invent stats can still get away with it. Maybe a little here and there, but giving someone 21 assists? That would probably get called out nowadays lol.
     
    #11 roslolian, Aug 14, 2009
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