Byron Scott Says Analytics Ruined The NBA: "It's Just Giving Some Of The Nerds, So To Speak In The World, A Place In The NBA..."

"Absolutely. I really started to see it change when I got to the Lakers as a coach. They used that (3 point shot) so much as a weapon, because of well 'the analytics tells us' and I'm saying well I understand analytics, you got to shoot more threes but you can't shoot more threes if you ain't got guys that can shoot. You telling me that we got to live by the analytics and I'm telling you we don't have guys that can make threes on a consistent basis... I think it's just giving some of the nerds, so to speak, in the world, a place in the NBA when they wouldn't have had a place because of the numbers."

It is safe to say a lot of ex-players probably share that sentiment and Scott is right to an extent. Analytics is a tool to help teams get better results and one shouldn't look at it as the be-all and end-all. Sometimes conventional wisdom is the way to go and perhaps that has been lost somewhere along the way.

Scott also stated during this appearance that he believes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the GOAT and he makes a fairly good argument for his old teammate, too. We doubt his comments on analytics would have helped his chances of returning to the NBA as a coach. His last coaching role was with the Lakers back in 2016.