So, we don’t know what we don’t know about Scott Brooks and analytics. (“No one knows nothing,” so goes one of Ted Leonsis’ favorite sayings.) We know that he’s not Randy Wittman. We also know, as Brooks relayed in his introductory presser as head coach of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, that he attended the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference last month. That’s different.
What we also know is that analytics are a drive—one of them—of team owner Leonsis. The role of basketball math in Ernie Grunfeld’s eye is unclear, but he’s used consultants back to his Milwaukee days, a few of his top current advisors are analytically-minded, and then there’s the bare bones fact that you can’t be around for as long as Grunfeld has without adapting.