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Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by GBond on Saturday February 11, 2012 @01:16PM (#3579722)
Not surprised that most experts(NBA & DI school scouts) don't embrace this because it is easier and safer to go with the typical archetype as opposed to raw stats. Its "human nature" safe in the sense most people will not question if you go with the established archetype. It also devalues the current process of scouting.

An apt quote from the movie Moneyball: "I know you've taken it in the teeth out there, but the first guy through the wall. It always gets bloody, always. It's the threat and not just the way of doing business, but in their minds it's threatening the game. But really what it's threatening is their livelihoods, it's threatening their jobs, it's threatening the way that they do things. And every time that happens, whether it's the government or a way of doing business or whatever it is, the people are holding the reins, have their hands on the switch. They will bet you're crazy. I mean, anybody who's not building a team right and rebuilding it using your model, they're dinosaurs. They'll be sittin' on their ass on the sofa in October, watch the Boston Red Sox win the world series."

Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by jamesaguilar on Saturday February 11, 2012 @01:25PM (#3579752)
Erm, as I understand it most NBA organizations have significant statistics/economics departments. I don't think the practice of going by looks or things of that nature is dominant any more except for sports pundits trying to rationalize events after they have happened.
Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by GBond on Saturday February 11, 2012 @02:22PM (#3579904)
Yes, some NBA clubs have started to spend money on quant/stats but I wouldn't say there is a majority cultural buy-in particularly in regards to scouting. Mostly it is in the form of a stat guy assistance coach who will recommend how to play opponents.

It is gaining popularity. Boston Celtics are one of the pioneers. The Nets even Bought a sports video/stats startup recently. Time will tell if talent evaluation will also change as Lin has been a paradigm-destroyer of the old way of scouting.

Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by bilbo0s on Sunday February 12, 2012 @12:02PM (#3582256)
WHAT!?!?

Name ONE team with a stats department that consists of a SINGLE Assistant Coach.

What you said is not true. Stats is HUGE! Try to get drafted if the stats department gives you a thumbs down.

Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by marknutter on Saturday February 11, 2012 @01:38PM (#3579795)
Yeah, but how often do they go with the statistics vs. their gut feeling?
Re:A "Moneyball" statician predicted Jeremy Lin's success 2 ... by gregpilling on Saturday February 11, 2012 @01:20PM (#3579735)
"Sometimes the convincing force is just time itself and the human toll it takes, Kuhn said, using a quote from Max Planck: "a new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."[1]"

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_shift