I love it and Barkley is right. Its more about having the best talent on the court.

Charles Barkley took a social-media shot from Daryl Morey and returned fire with a vengeance Tuesday night, calling the Houston Rockets general manager "one of those idiots who believes in analytics."

The Naismith Hall of Famer and TNT analyst then disavowed the widespread use of the practice in sports, saying its proponents were "a bunch of guys who have never played the game, and they never got the girls in high school."

"First of all I've always believed analytics was crap," Barkley said on TNT's postgame coverage of the Rockets' 127-118 win over the Phoenix Suns. "You know I never mention the Rockets as legitimate contenders 'cause they're not. And listen, I wouldn't know Daryl Morey if he walked into this room right now."

Barkley made his case after saying the Rockets -- 36-16 and third in the West -- were poor on defense among playoff-contending teams despite being among the top statistical teams in the NBA defensively.

"Just because you've got good stats doesn't mean you're a good team defensively," Barkley said. "They're not a good defensive team. They gave up 118 points. No good team gives up 118 points."

Barkley's comments were in response to a tweet Morey posted during the Rockets' win.

Best part of being at a TNT game live is it is easy to avoid Charles spewing misinformed biased vitriol disguised as entertainment
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) February 11, 2015

Barkley offered up the previous championship models of the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls -- with the pairings of Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen -- and the current core of the San Antonio Spurs, with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, as evidence that using statistics was not a sound basis for building a winning NBA team.

"They say that same crap in baseball, and they put these little lightweight teams together and they never win," Barkley said. "They're always competitive to a certain degree and they don't win. It's the same thing in the NBA."

The Rockets' statistics are a mixed bag. They stand seventh in the NBA in points per game with 103.3 and 15th in points per game allowed at 99.6. Among their ESPN.com Hollinger Stats rankings, they are third in pace factor, 12th in offensive efficiency and seventh in defensive efficiency.


James Harden has carried the Rockets' offense all season, and that was again the case in Tuesday's victory over the Suns. ESPN Stats & Information takes a look. Story

"The Rockets sucked for a long time, so they went out and paid James Harden a lot of money; they got better," Barkley said on the TNT postgame broadcast. "Then they went out and got Dwight Howard; they got better. ...

"The NBA is about talent," Barkley continued. "All these guys who run these organizations who talk about analytics, they have one thing in common -- they're a bunch of guys who have never played the game, and they never got the girls in high school, and they just want to get in the game."

An NBA coach, speaking to ESPN.com senior writer Ramona Shelburne, said there was value in the use of analytics but that it was limited.

"To say they've revolutionized everything about coaching or basketball is just wrong," the coach said.

The NBA coach said he used analytics but that a lot of the statistics and formulas have been available for 10 years.

"You just had to look it up yourself on a computer," the coach said.

"These guys are bright, ambitious and a lot of them have carved out niches for themselves where they take credit for everything," the coach added. "You're taking people with a background in analytics. But they're out evaluating players and making decisions."

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Barkley is on TV. An entertainer.

Morey is a sensitive bitch. The Rockets are jokers.

Morey signed j Lin ! they paid big money for Omar from the Bulls all in one swooping offseason...and thought he was really smart for doing so.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I think there is more value for it in baseball. I agree with Barkley when it comes to basketball. The information doesn't make a huge difference.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Why do you say that? Does science not work in basketball?

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

Analytics is about finding talent, isnt it?

It has limited value because 1 player can dominate a game and there is nothing you can do about it.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

That doesn't really answer my question. There are many things statistical analysis can reveal about an opponent that can help a team in a game. I'm not certainly not the grand marshal of the SABR parade, but to say shit like "it's stupid to believe in analytics" makes one sound like an genius.

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

Barkley is hilarious!

Obviously statistical analysis has a place in basketball, but I just don't think they have figured out the best ways to use all the information.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Yes there are. In the end 1 player can shred all of that. There is a reason why the teams with the best player wins most of the time. That's why it isn't as valuable in basketball.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Except when Carmelo Anthony is that player.

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

Marshmelo won in college but he's probably an exception to the rule.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Doesn't Hollinger run the Grizzlies? They're an analytics team and they've been more impressive in recent years than the Rockets have. Houston just gets all the attention because Daryl Morey is just as much of an attention whore as Barkley is, the difference being that getting attention is Barkley's job.

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I don't believe he's there anymore. In the end they lose because another team has a star player that beats them.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

And analytics identify the star players.

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

I think the eye test does that.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Obviously not, since your eye test declared Carmelo Anthony one of the best.

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

So the Grizzlies have failed despite 106 wins in two years because they have the misfortune of not having Tim Duncan or Kevin Durant. Should they just roll over and die? I applaud them for trying. Maybe it'll work this year.

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I wasn't a big fan of Marshmelo for years and I allowed myself to get fooled. I've acknowledged my error.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Next time you should consult analytics first.

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Ecclesiastes 5:8

I had already looked at the numbers. I was still hoping he came here even though I saw the numbers.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

My MIT guy tells me that Morey is the only Sloan graduate in history to have been born in Baraboo, WI. It's gone to his head.

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Soccer 1,2,3
Spanish Honor Society 1,2,3,4
Forensics 1,2,3,4

"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

Carmelo Anthony became a bad player when 1. He refused to sign with the Bulls 2. The people that stated that he was lock to sign with the Bulls were proven to be wrong. The biggest cheerleaders in the "Anthony to the Bulls" talk are now the biggest detractors. They are mad because they stated that he was lock to sign with the Bulls and they were later proven wrong. Its laughable to read some of the threads from the summer involving his potential signing. The pre Anthony and post Anthony signing comments are paradoxical in nature. The about face aspects of it all are stunning.

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yes clearly thats it, we're all jealous Carmelo is on a 5 win team and not the Bulls...

If I were you I'd never mention Carmelo Anthony ever again.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

He'll rewrite history and have a conversation with himself.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I'm an apologist for the guy but some of the stuff said on here borders on pure stupidity. He took the money and ran. Actually a lot of the stuff that I have stated has turned out to be accurate unlike some on here. Its sour grapes. This will only be the second time in his career that he has missed the playoffs. No one is going to the playoffs with that team. Its not about jealously. Actually the guy has performed admirably given the circumstances. He could have shut it down months ago. There are a lot of guys that would have including Lebron James. He also has not thrown his team under the bus like some we know would have.

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Unlike you I don't flip flop and grasp at whatever is expedient. I'm consistent in my opinion and views which gives me some semblance of credibility. You will also take both sides of a position in order to at least be half right.

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Give Melo the ball and get the hell out of the way

Carmelo is NBA Keyshawn Johnson (except the title)

Getting him the ball and getting out of the way is definitely not the recipe for a championship but it does make them a better team. Depending on how you look at it Melo is worth at least 10 wins. The Knicks are winless without him in the lineup. If they get to 15 wins then he must be worth 15 wins. That list of budding all stars that some around here appear to think they have surely wont be responsible for it.

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