Paul George and the Advent of Personal Statisticians

[jonathanlambert33]

The times they are a changing. It is the dawning of the age of analytics and nearly every aspect of the game has become associated with some sort of highly sophisticated crunched number. The list of new-fangled metrics ushered in by the advent of Sports VU cameras and stats gurus seems almost inexhaustible in today's NBA. Whether it be distance traveled per game, points per touch, time of possession, points created by assists, opponent field goal percentage allowed at the rim, percentage of available rebounds grabbed, catch and shoot field goal percentage, usage percentage, player efficiency rating, estimated wins added, win shares, defensive rating, real plus/minus, or the SCHOENE projection system, it is abundantly clear that the sun is gradually setting on the one-dimensional nature of traditional box scores in favor of ultramodern data collection and multi-faceted advanced statistics.

As is the case in any era of progress, the league has made many noticeable adjustments in response to the way mathematical analysis and technological innovation have combined to alter the manner in which the game of basketball is being viewed, comprehended, and analyzed. All 30 arenas are now equipped with Sports VU cameras to generate player tracking data. Front offices are increasingly apt to put data-analysis experts on their payrolls, and fans are being granted greater access to various mediums of stats and information. As for the players, rumor has it some of the league's All-Stars are quietly starting to take notice as well.

In fact, according to an in-depth report from the New York Times, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, and the Pacers' very own Paul George (among others) have all enlisted the services of what The Times describes as "a private guide through the emerging world of advanced analytics."

Per a recent Q&A with the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner, it is clear that the Pacers franchise is no stranger to the league's advanced numbers game. When a reader assumed that the Blue and Gold were lagging behind in the "analytics department" and then questioned if the team "has any plans of modernizing on that front," Buckner responded:


"No, the Pacers are not behind. The team has a very smart and capable analytics dude who's based in Brooklyn. Stanford grad, former Wall Street dynamo. He's worked with the Pacers for several years, he meets up with the team back in Indy at the start of every playoff series. I've met him a few times on the road and found him to be way smarter than me... which doesn't say much because most people are, but trust me, the Pacers have a solid analytics department."

While it is clear from this insider information that the Pacers are, in fact, very much up to speed when it comes to processing advanced statistics, a distinction should be made between this particular "very smart and capable analytics dude" that works for the team and the person that is being described as PG's personal "guide."

The New York Times conveys that George's hired personal statistician, Justin Zormelo, is a Georgetown graduate, reported friend of Roy Hibbert, and owner of a company called Best Ball Analytics. While browsing his company's website, one can find a compiled list of high-profile clientele along with a detailed description of, "What Best Ball Can Do For You," which, according to Zormelo, involves "helping players become smarter and more efficient through scientific analysis and smarter training."

http://www.indycornrows.com/2014/6/10/5798004/paul-george-and-advent-of-personal-statisticians