Sixers continue to get smarter...

[talkingpractice]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/92626 ... -hinkie-gm

[EvanZ]

Since nothing ever came of it, I guess I can say that I interviewed with the Rockets (a few days before the Harden deal) and got the chance to talk with Sam for a while. Great guy. I think Evan Turner is gone.

[Crow]

A tougher choice will be whether to stick with Jrue Holiday long-term or not. I'd watch him very closely next season and listen to trade options. I hadn't noticed his generally low TS% and eFG% and regular season year to year downtrend trend overall thru his career til now. If someone offered a lot for him or him in a package, I'd listen. 0.55 winshares per 48 minutes this season and 0.71 career. Better in past playoffs though. Will have to check RAPM or IPV later.

[EvanZ]

I hadn't noticed his generally low TS% and eFG% and regular season year to year downtrend trend overall thru his career til now.

Not surprisingly, his USG has increased from 18% to 26%, taking an especially large 5% jump last season with Lou and Iggy leaving the team. He's just not an efficient enough scorer to warrant such high USG. They better put some shooters around him, so he can focus on passing to those guys.

[Bonn1997]

So now the Rockets have Morey, the Grizzlies have Hollinger, and the Sixers have Hinkie. Any other metrics specialists running teams?

[Crow]

Morey and Hinkie are the only ones that are the top basketball executive. Hollinger is not the top dog in Memphis, but I guess one step below. Zarren in Boston has a different title than Hollinger but is also just one step below the GM.

[Bonn1997]

Thanks. I didn't know about Zarren in Boston.

[Crow]

I forgot Rich Cho in Charlotte and probably Cris Grant in Cleveland. I don't know much about McDonough but maybe he and others "count" as analytic GMs. It depends on your criteria: whether you get the label for being familar with basic advanced analytics, or hiring folks to do it, or having done it previously full-time yourself, or relying heavily on that input, etc.

[DSMok1]

I forgot Rich Cho in Charlotte and probably Cris Grant in Cleveland. I don't know much about McDonough but maybe he and others "count" as analytic GMs. It depends on your criteria: whether you get the label for being familar with basic advanced analytics, or hiring folks to do it, or having done it previously full-time yourself, or relying heavily on that input, etc.

I would consider Masai Ujiri an analytics guy as well.

[Crow]

A tougher choice will be whether to stick with Jrue Holiday long-term or not...

6 weeks ago I thought this topic should come up. I didn't expect they would have the chance to make such a great trade in that direction.

[Bobbofitos]

Morey and Hinkie are the only ones that are the top basketball executive. Hollinger is not the top dog in Memphis, but I guess one step below. Zarren in Boston has a different title than Hollinger but is also just one step below the GM.

Zarren isn't an out-and-out stats guy. His background is legal, not statistical or comp-sci etc., and it's not clear how much influence he has. (Witness the past few years of complementary signings around the "Big 3").

I think the # of teams that have stats guys has clearly gone up (more than half), but the # that actually are guided by those same voices are countable on one hand.

[Bobbofitos]

I forgot Rich Cho in Charlotte and probably Cris Grant in Cleveland. I don't know much about McDonough but maybe he and others "count" as analytic GMs. It depends on your criteria: whether you get the label for being familar with basic advanced analytics, or hiring folks to do it, or having done it previously full-time yourself, or relying heavily on that input, etc.

I would consider Masai Ujiri an analytics guy as well.

Ujiri is a former scout. He may be familiar with the usage of analytics but that is not his chosen background. (I think he has some professional ball experience as well, perhaps in Nigeria and/or Europe)

I'd be surprised if choosing Zeller or Bennett was analytics driven.

My hunch is the Sixers, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Spurs are the kingpins and everyone else is second-fiddle... OR worse.

[DSMok1]

I'd be surprised if choosing Zeller or Bennett was analytics driven.

My hunch is the Sixers, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Spurs are the kingpings and everyone else is second-fiddle... OR worse.

Jonathan Givony said that Michael Jordan is calling the shots in Charlotte, and Cho was almost fired...

What about OKC in that list of top analytics teams? I'd say those are the top 5 currently, and the Raptors may be moving that way also.

[Bobbofitos]

I'd be surprised if choosing Zeller or Bennett was analytics driven.

My hunch is the Sixers, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Spurs are the kingpings and everyone else is second-fiddle... OR worse.

Jonathan Givony said that Michael Jordan is calling the shots in Charlotte, and Cho was almost fired...

What about OKC in that list of top analytics teams? I'd say those are the top 5 currently, and the Raptors may be moving that way also.

Yeah, OKC would be the 5th team to add. Good call.

I heard the same about MJ in Charlotte. Zeller going 4th was more of a surprise to me than Bennett going 1st.