Byron Scott on analytics: 'I’m just more of an old school type guy'
A pretty broad schism has opened in NBA circles over the past several years between those who put themselves in the pro-analytics camp and those who stand opposed.
Charles Barkley's now-infamous rant may have served as a sort of flashpoint, but the schism has been growing for a while, and it increasingly seems like those who are pushing back against advancements in advanced statistical analysis are the ones being left behind.
In Kevin Pelton's NBA Analytics Rankings published Monday on ESPN, only three teams fell firmly into the category of analytics non-believers: The Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite playing in the league's biggest markets, those teams have a combined record of 47-117.
Ahead of his team's Wednesday night game against the Utah Jazz, Lakers coach Byron Scott was asked about his view on the subject.
"I don’t knock people who believe in it," Scott said, according to Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. "That’s their prerogative. But I’m just more of an old school type guy."
Which, duh. New-school coaches don't typically try to implement strategies that involve shooting less than 15 3-pointers a game.
Scott added that in spite of his indifference, analytical data continues to be presented to him on a regular basis:
Byron says he's presented with data weekly, and will discuss it with assistants.
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) February 26, 2015
But when asked if this data has led to any major changes to his team this season, his answer was plain: "No."
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) February 26, 2015
Welp, glad we got that settled.