GM Daryl Morey runs the Houston Rockets with a computer and an attitude. Morey, an MIT guy, believes that data holds the secrets to sports — and he’s been in a few feuds with those who believe otherwise, like Charles Barkley. Most people understand that Moneyball style analytics is helpful. But analytics doesn’t tell the whole story. What is the balance between old school understanding — built on intuition and the often misleading eye — and new school analytics where nothing, allegedly, is missed?
Rockets coach and Hall of Fame player Kevin McHale frames the balance (and difference) perfectly in an interview with AP, explaining: ”I think there’s a place for analytics, you learn a lot through analytics but there’s also times where you learn a lot more by looking in a guy’s eyes and seeing what kind of determination he has, what kind of guts he’s got. Is he going to fight in tight spots? There’s no analytics for that stuff. So it’s always going to be a blend of both.”
