Thursday, May 16, 2024

Basketball: The New New Thing

Michael Lewis writes to explain, to see what others don’t. He's the guy to write the story of NIL. 

Lewis wrote The New New Thing about the new generation of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Just as children climb, seekers search. The few earn billions. Others remain nameless.

Basketball innovators like Dean Oliver used analytics to explain the numbers behind winning. SPCA (score, protect, crash, attack)...

Spencer Haywood was the Curt Flood of basketball, rewriting eligibility for basketball talent.

Periodically team basketball unearths its roots with player and ball movement as in the Spurs ‘Beautiful Game’.

Steph Curry and peers changed the landscape with long-range scoring. "He was the cheese, and his opponents were mice running through an endless maze." Also, "Curry broke the single-season record for three-pointers with 286 in 2014–15, then shattered his own record with 402 the following year while earning the league’s first ever unanimous MVP."

The oversized complete player like Victor Wembanyama inhabits the vanguard of innovation. Perhaps Jalen Brunson ushers in a parallel  footwork revolution. 

Is NIL cheating, transparency or something else? How will money relate to wins? How will critical 'complementary players' who defend, screen, or rebound be compensated relative to flashy scorers and passers? 

Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than information." Therein lies the path to innovation. 

Lagniappe. Be better.  

Lagniappe 2. Leadership is hard.  

Lagniappe 3. Villanova combination drill.