[Bill Simmons] Nothing Has Altered the NBA Like Mike D'Antoni

Obviously, this is true.

Maybe I shouldn’t have just jumped on ship with foodworld. It’s probably better if I explain how I feel. I think Hollinger is great. He really knows basketball and I’ve seen him admit when and why players’ statistics are inflated, even with his PER stat. I’ve seen him criticize mediocre defenders and justify his predictions and analysis with numbers AND logic. The problem is, just as there are fans who watch games while knockin down beers with their friends, there are fans who haven’t even seen players play but feel confident in making assertions about them based on the stats they looked up during their lunch break.

Basically, in a perfect world all fans would be able to put in the time and effort needed to watch and analyze every game play by play. That way we would all know everything that would have otherwise been a statistic. Since that is never going to happen I’ll listen more to those who have watched games than those who have not.

The thing is I don’t consider stats “geeky” at all. The problem is I think the game of basketball is way more complicated than any of these simplistic arithmetic formulas. They are a good tool but you can’t describe everything with them. If you watch the games you can see things that are not being recorded by statisticians. I’m sure there are plenty of great coaches who never use any type of in depth statistical analysis. Are they less knowledgeable of the game than a fan who frequents 82games and basketball reference? I doubt it.

You can’t take numbers at face value, just because these websites are doing some great work for us doesn’t mean you don’t have to think. Say it feels hot in my bedroom. I go check the AC controller and it reads 75 degrees. My intuition could just be wrong…or there could be a leak in my AC unit and the air might not be circulating properly in my bedroom. Were the numbers wrong? Technically no, it was 75 degrees where the temperature gauge is but not everywhere in the house.

 

If JimRaynor55 had a newsletter, I'd subscribe to it... Thanks for a sound perspective on things, and calling out the irrationality that passes for knowledge in fandom.

 

It starts when someone does the "We dont need none'a dem GEEK boy stats" thing. Then the ones who put all their time and effort into stats feel slighted and need to defend their position.

Definitely watching the game along with stats is the common sense best approach. Cuz dunks can deceive, as well as stats.

 

If there's anyone who has watched more NBA basketball since 2000 than me, well, I'd have a hard time believing them. Even the scouts that continually get quoted, their words (taken for gospel after they watch two teams out of the 22 that play on a Wednesday night) continually proven wrong every time SI puts out its NBA preview ... I know I watch more than them. If anyone has any reason to fall back on "watching the damn games" or "intuition," then I'm that guy.

And I don't. The game changes. Your eyes lie. You tire after a while. DVDs and Tivos and torrents don't tell the story. You can only see so much, even after a re-watch or three. That's where common sense and -- shock horror! -- a record of what actually happens tends to come in. And work quite well.

 

Kelly love your work, although not the perm though still not sure where everyone's hate of Bill is coming from, guess it depends on your expectations, his mailbags are certainly good value and love the pop-culture reference, but really when i comes to actually sports ovservations, what do you expect he has and will also write as a fan... and as far as i know (and this place is great further evidence) the commentary will be very skewed, lop-sided, biased, and come from very non objective point of view and most certainly not based stats and reality, its worth remembering most fans only watch there own teams play and occasionally the nationally telecast games and then fluffy espn shows like sportscentre, pti and ath... bill is a fan and writes just like... don't expect the leopard to change...

speaking of writers commenting on others, and I know basketball is your thing, what's your thoughts on the TMQ, greg easterbrook?

 

Sorry to bump but i'm looking for the follow up article Simmons wrote recently that mercilessly bashed Sarver and Kerr. He touched on all their bad moves the past five years or so. Anybody know which one i'm talking about? I'm looking for the link but can't find it. Thanks!

 

I found an old article about it: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080501

 

Coming from a guy whose AC has broken three times over the last two summers I say this analogy is convincing.

 

You can talk to plenty of guys here who swear watching a 2-3 minute youtube clip of a player will tell you everything you need to know about him. In fact, I think even the old Rocket scouts and GM used youtube to get all the facts on Stromile Swift before they signed him.

 

Thanks, I think that might be it. I guess I was mistaken on the date -- thought it came out recently.