During a panel at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Feb. 27 (from left): football analyst Brian Burke; former basketball player Shane Battier; ESPN analytics director Ben Alamar; and panel moderator John Anderson of ESPN.
The ninth annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) was the biggest meeting yet of sports-data experts: More than 3,100 people attended the event last Friday and Saturday, including a notable number of 6-foot-8-inch former NBA forwards roaming around inside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Founded by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey SM '00 and sports executive Jessica Gelman, SSAC illuminates the state of its high-profile industry. Here are some key takeaways from the 2015 event. Sports analytics has made a big impact - sometimes In 2006, Morey traded for Shane Battier, a forward averaging only 10 points per game. But advanced metrics showed Battier was an outstanding player due to his fine defense and shot selection. The Rockets soon started giving Battier an unprecedented level of statistical information about the opponents he had to guard. "It was the first time someone was speaking my language in basketball," Battier said at a Friday panel.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
