Stats? Stats? STATS? Don't try talking to Charles Barkley about stats. Or else…
Prior to last night's Rockets/Suns game in Phoenix, Barkley was very critical of the defense that both teams play. Even though Houston is the seventh-best defensive team according to the NBA's advanced stats—and even though Phoenix isn't far behind at No. 17 overall—he ripped the teams for being bad defensively. And Rockets GM Daryl Morey responded by taking a shot at him during the game on Twitter:
Barkley was, of course, quick to respond. After the game, which the Rockets won 127-118, he went in on Morey. Here's just a taste of what he had to say:
- "I'm not worried about Daryl Morey. He's one of those idiots who believe in analytics."
- "I've always believed analytics were crap."
- "I wouldn't know Daryl Morey if he walked in this room right now."
2.
Kenny Smith then tried to talk some sense into Barkley by telling him that analytics can be useful. But he refused to listen.
"All these guys who run these organizations who talk about analytics, they have one thing in common," Barkley said. "They're a bunch of guys who never played the game and they never got the girls in high school and they just want to get in the game."
Ha. Okay, so Barkley didn't make the strongest argument in the world while discussing analytics. But it made for entertaining TV. Check out his full rant against Morey and analytics in the clip above.
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[via Next Impulse Sports]
