Is Charles Barkley an idiot? No.
Are some of the things Charles Barkley says off the cuff idiotic? Absolutely. And entertaining.
Keith Olbermann last night had a bit about how Charles Barkley is an idiot and knows nothing about basketball because he made some comments against analytics and relying too heavily on stats. All the bit did was make Olbermann look like as much of an idiot as Barkley did in the clips.
While analytics certainly add to the ability of analysts to evaluate talent and performance of players in certain roles, it is not a replacement for old fashioned talent evaluation. You can’t simply take the best 5 players according to PER and slap them togehter on the court and expect they will win the NBA Championship. It doesn’t work that way. Chemistry, ego, health, and who is playing leadership roles etc., are as important as analytics when assessing how to build a successful team.
Olbermann, stick to what you know. Barkley is a hell of a lot more knowledgeable about the game than most, he just doesn’t always express himself clearly enough. Here is the bit….
