Michael Wilbon: Black Folks and analytics don't mix

[Ribbs]

I have no problem with analytics, I just don't see it being used in a social setting like a barbershop or a bar around people.

Do you already have these numbers memorized before you left the house? Did you study this while you were on the train to the bar just in case the Cavs are down by five in the 4th? Do you have a spreadsheet ready for when the game gets right? I don't see people using this IRL, casual sports fan I mean. Sports writers maybe but regular Joes? Nah.

 

[Floyd Pinkerton]

That struggle poll though

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Im a huge geek and i hate analytics

Why? Because analytics are nothing but statistics, which, if you know anything about statistics, you know they can be manipulated to say ANYtHINg.

Its basically just a sports media agenda to keep people watching and to fill the 24 hr news cycle imo. Great ENTERTAINMENT, not much value

This is an oxymoronic post if I've ever seen one.

 

[dish lowry]

not black but i hate analytics. i was reading a book by Jayson Stark & he was using stats i never heard of. alot of it seems unnecessary.

plus i have a cousin who does number crunching for a living, and it randomly seeps into conversations. I'd rather go by hunches, throwing money on the Raptors is a no brainer

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

There are far too many dumbass posts in this thread to quote. Y'all dudes need to smarten up. I worry for your offspring.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

In this case it is. Analytics are used to ensure that white kids and coaches who know nothing about the game can make money off of it. Find me one black analytic expert employed by an NBA team and you may have a point, but you won't because there aren't any.

Every single black person (well let's just say 99% to cover the exceptions) employed by an NBA team is an analytic expert.

 

[Bilz]

not black but i hate analytics. i was reading a book by Jayson Stark & he was using stats i never heard of. alot of it seems unnecessary.

plus i have a cousin who does number crunching for a living, and it randomly seeps into conversations. I'd rather go by hunches, throwing money on the Raptors is a no brainer

Either way can be effective. I worked with a guy that made a lot of money playing poker. At any given time, he knew the exact percentages of himself getting the card he needed and the percentages of anyone else already having it. You could also do well with winging it and going by hunches that were essentially rough estimates of the percentages but if you have the exact numbers, you can make more informed decisions.

 

[FSP]

This is an oxymoronic post if I've ever seen one.

Challenge me

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Challenge me

Challenge you?

Yeah you definitely a smart dumb geek.

 

[horizon]

those who can....do. Those who can't....invent crutches to somehow compete.

Bruhs don't care about this mess.

You think a young Randy Moss cared about analytics? "Well when you throw the ball inside of 15-17 yards most players catch it 63% of the time ...blah blah blah"

Just throw me the ball deep and I'll get open.

Nikka...

If you shoot 15% going to your left or 10% from 3, what you think I'ma make you do?

If you not using any and all tools at your disposal within the rules to beat your opponent, you already lost

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

I still don't know why it needs be stated over and over and over again - analytics is life. Everything that exists and our interpretation of it is based on analytics.

 

[FSP]

Challenge you?

Yeah you definitely a smart dumb geek.

so you dont actually have anything to say. Nothing about my post was oxymoronic, take the stick out of your ass

 

[Gravity]

Casual fans are the ones who get worked up about analytics. It should not be a controversial idea at all.

Who said that it was controversial tho? Who's worked up? There's no problems with analytics themselves. The problem is with people who overvalue certain analytics or make judgements completely based on analytics void of proper context. Like Jay said numbers don't lie but people can misuse them. Like this fakkit poster Z-bo who tried to use analytics to argue against Kevin Love being a terrible defender. Geeks like him often misuse and put too much value in the analytics that support their agendas.

 

[YaBoy]

After reading through this thread & seeing that Knicks scouting report, I'm think advanced analytics aren't advanced at all. This is the simplest shyt in the world, you could get 90% of it from the eye test (I can't calculate all those percentages in my head). But if this is "advanced" then I don't need much more than the eye test for a scouting report.

the Knicks scouting report on MJ from 1998

Like other people said, analytics has its place, but you need the context of the eye test before you try to draw any conclusions from it. & anyone that uses advanced stats in general conversation is a lame

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

After reading through this thread & seeing that Knicks scouting report, I'm think advanced analytics aren't advanced at all. This is the simplest shyt in the world, you could get 90% of it from the eye test (I can't calculate all those percentages in my head). But if this is "advanced" then I don't need much more than the eye test for a scouting report.

Like other people said, analytics has its place, but you need the context of the eye test before you try to draw any conclusions from it. & anyone that uses advanced stats in general conversation is a lame

People still don't get it.