Chip Scoggins: Pitino puts his assistants to work (advanced stats and more)

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:

Pitino said he strives to find a balance between relying on statistics and having a coach’s feel for the game.

“I like a lot of the stats because it can illustrate a point,” he said. “But I do think people have gotten carried away with it a little bit too much in general. I think people who don’t have a great feel often just throw you stats and they don’t quite understand what they’re talking about.”

Here’s some background on Pitino’s philosophy on statistics:

In any game, Pitino has six assistant coaches/student assistants who track specific statistical categories.

“They’ve got to do something,” he joked. “They’re all getting paid. They can’t just sit there with a nice suit on. We’ve got to put them to work.”

The statistical categories they chart include: Offensive sets, defense, deflections, how many times they get three defensive stops in a row, transition opportunities, second-chance points, loose balls, charges, blow-byes, challenged shots, post touches and missed screens.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/253623011.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[MadtownGopher]

Interesting read.

 

[underground629]

I'm glad to hear that's his approach.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

I always get concerned when I see him screaming at the coaches on the bench. Part of me thinks the players and coaches know hes a screamer and they sort of ignore/dont let it get to him. After the made 3 at the end of regulation on Tuesday he was letting McHale, Johnson and Young have it, none of which said a peep back.

 

[HOOP DREAMS]

“But I do think people have gotten carried away with it a little bit too much in general. I think people who don’t have a great feel often just throw you stats and they don’t quite understand what they’re talking about.”

GW!

 

[Bad Gopher]

Moderation in all things. Glad they're crunching the numbers but also glad they take them with a grain of salt.

I remember one of the first stats people we were exposed to in the Twin Cities: Ray Miller, the short-time Twins manager, who came to town waving a stat sheet. Obviously it didn't help him be a very good manager.

 

[bga1]

I always get concerned when I see him screaming at the coaches on the bench. Part of me thinks the players and coaches know hes a screamer and they sort of ignore/dont let it get to him. After the made 3 at the end of regulation on Tuesday he was letting McHale, Johnson and Young have it, none of which said a peep back.

It depends what he is screaming. He may be screaming, but perhaps not criticism toward them?

 

[Winasota Gopher]

I present you the most relevant stat ever to be enumerated.

And we are worried about a gay player in the NBA in 2014, look at Tyson Chandler and Dirk, I think a case could be made for them all the way back in 2011! He likes to touch dudes.

/sarcasm I am not insinuating that Tyson Chandler or Dirk are Gay in any way, and even if he was, there would be nothing wrong with that

 

[bga1]

I present you the most relevant stat ever to be enumerated.

And we are worried about a gay player in the NBA in 2014, look at Tyson Chandler and Dirk, I think a case could be made for them all the way back in 2011! He likes to touch dudes.

/sarcasm I am not insinuating that Tyson Chandler or Dirk are Gay in any way, and even if he was, there would be nothing wrong with that

Funny stuff- so Brian Cardinal had one high five all year? He couldn't have played much over 48 minutes could he?

 

[SelectionSunday]

Have always considered myself a stats guy, but stuff like Ken Pom is information overload. FG efficiency + effective FT% - 2FG% x 3FG% - FT% doesn't matter (my favorite) = too much mumbo jumbo.

Wins, losses, score more points than the other team, players body language, what my eyes tell me. ... those are the things I look at.

 

[howeda7]

Without # of shot fakes and average hang time when flinging the ball up in the air, the rest of these stats are useless.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Without # of shot fakes and average hang time when flinging the ball up in the air, the rest of these stats are useless.

And don't forget Bob Knight doesn't like ball screens.

 

[howeda7]

Funny stuff- so Brian Cardinal had one high five all year? He couldn't have played much over 48 minutes could he?

Brian Cardinal. The NBA version of AJ Pierzinski. When he's on the other team, you hate him. When he's on your team, you hate him less.

 

[shickmyjanski]

Brian Cardinal. The NBA version of AJ Pierzinski. When he's on the other team, you hate him. When he's on your team, you hate him less.

You should really quote Ozzie Guillen on that one. I laughed my arse off when he said that.

 

[oleboy41]

I always get concerned when I see him screaming at the coaches on the bench. Part of me thinks the players and coaches know hes a screamer and they sort of ignore/dont let it get to him. After the made 3 at the end of regulation on Tuesday he was letting McHale, Johnson and Young have it, none of which said a peep back.

Never know what they're saying. I've been around coaches that yell specifically at coaches/players and others that are just yelling in general to their players. Its like watching the game with a friend and yelling 'what are they doing?'

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Never know what they're saying. I've been around coaches that yell specifically at coaches/players and others that are just yelling in general to their players. Its like watching the game with a friend and yelling 'what are they doing?'

I'm with you, but roll with me on this one...

Lets just say a particular fish wrap in the TC decides to interview a local kid who happens to be on said coaching staff. Lets just say this guy decided to up and get a new job, either HC or lateral move and we can all imagine that happening because said local kids is alleged to be rather talented and an up and comer. Lets just say during the interview with one of our very pro UofM media outlets he says a couple random comments without meaning that may or may not shed some light on how Mr Pitino treats his assistants or players. Could you imagine the media frenzy the TC would have with our young coach and how he's whiny or a complainer??? They are just looking for that crack in the armor. Remember how the Tubby stare became the scowl as his tenure progressed with UofM. The look didn't change, just the opinion. Pitino's passion could become temper tantrums, or he's a spoiled brat....

So when I say I get worried, it's because I know how the media would react, not so much that I'm worried that Pitino shouldn't be yelling at his coaches or players.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

Funny stuff- so Brian Cardinal had one high five all year? He couldn't have played much over 48 minutes could he?

It was a report on how the Mavericks were a better team than the Heat during the 2011 championship series. This was a 3 game read of touching each other. I believe it was the WSJ that ran this piece but I could be mistaken.

 

[jaymil]

I'm with you, but roll with me on this one...

Lets just say a particular fish wrap in the TC decides to interview a local kid who happens to be on said coaching staff. Lets just say this guy decided to up and get a new job, either HC or lateral move and we can all imagine that happening because said local kids is alleged to be rather talented and an up and comer. Lets just say during the interview with one of our very pro UofM media outlets he says a couple random comments without meaning that may or may not shed some light on how Mr Pitino treats his assistants or players. Could you imagine the media frenzy the TC would have with our young coach and how he's whiny or a complainer??? They are just looking for that crack in the armor. Remember how the Tubby stare became the scowl as his tenure progressed with UofM. The look didn't change, just the opinion. Pitino's passion could become temper tantrums, or he's a spoiled brat....

So when I say I get worried, it's because I know how the media would react, not so much that I'm worried that Pitino shouldn't be yelling at his coaches or players.

If he wins I don't think people will care. At the end of Tubby's tenure, Gopher fans were looking for anything to rip the guy about.

 

[Winasota Gopher]

If he wins I don't think people will care. At the end of Tubby's tenure, Gopher fans were looking for anything to rip the guy about.

Agreed. But I don't think the media considers this year or even the results from next year as "winning" quite yet. Thus my concern in the short term.