Basketball Analytics: Hunting for Unicorns

Zach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPN

Mike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics

Paul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPN

Bob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors

Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report

The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the relative value of future player types will be of the utmost significance for any franchise looking for that one special player to take the next step in their evolution. This panel will examine the ways in which teams are leveraging analytics to answer these questions and address other top-of-mind issues such as lineup optimization, “position-less basketball”, as well as finding and exploiting inefficiencies in an increasingly intelligent NBA.