Feb 13, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team as they play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Daigneault explained his stance on advantage analytics. He also mentioned it’s a delicate balance to what his sixth sense as a […]
Daigneault explained his stance on advantage analytics. He also mentioned it’s a delicate balance to what his sixth sense as a head coach brings. He wants to fully utilize both sides of the argument to make well-informed decisions.If you want to spark a debate, bring advanced analytics to the average sports bar conversation. Older fans will stick their tongue out in disgust and shush you away; younger fans will explain why true shooting is a better indicator than raw field-goal percentage.How calculators and chalkboards fit into what happens on a basketball court has always been a heated debate. Regardless of how the older generation of fans might feel, there’s no denying their favorite NBA team likely relies on advanced analytics — including the Oklahoma City Thunder.This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Mark Daigneault explains how advanced analytics can be useful“I don’t make any decision because of it, but I don’t make any decision without it. It’s not like it’s telling you what to do, but it’s an input and it’s factual and objective information that I think you would be foolish not to at least know and understand,” Daigneault said. “We’re not just reacting to the numbers. There’s more to it. There’s your eyes and there’s the feel of the players. But at the same time, we want to know what’s going on and we want to have all the information we can to make the best decisions we can.That’s how we look at it.”This is the smart approach to have toward advanced analytics and what most NBA franchises do. It’s too valuable of a tool to not factor into decisions. That said, there’s always the experience and human element that equally matters. It’s not visible to outsiders but is an important variable inside teams.Mark Daigneault has always hinted at being pro-analytics. Considering the 39-year-old is on the younger side of the spectrum among NBA coaches, it shouldn’t be a shocker to learn that. He’s always been aggressive in playing players through foul trouble and understands the importance of volume over efficiency with outside shooting.
