Character makes a man

“Sports do not build character. They revail it.” The late Heywood Broun used to say. The sportswriter and columnist died too early to see all the changes technology and statistics brought over the years. His observation is nevertheless a very true one, something every sports star will acknowledge. So how did the sports change over the years because of the algorithms and advanced analytics? What is left of true character anyway?
The first question seems rather simple. Because of the higher degree of knowledge it has become way more easy for coaches to see what they’re missing. Just look at basketbal, after thorough analysis some coaches noticed that the corner 3-point shot deliverd them the highest points per possession of the ball. The problem with this observation was that it didn’t directly result in better shots but actually in a drop from points per possession because of very forced corner shots. But with so many dollars being spend in sports worldwide the solution was simple: more data with better quality. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had a talk with the owner and decided to invest in a system (SportsVU) that not only tracks where a shot is taken, but factors in how far a defender was, after how many passes a shot was taken and how long the player needed to get of the shot after getting the ball in his hands. The results were so concrete that Popovich altered his whole system and focused almost entirely on the corner three and even as important; how to get it there at the right time. Some core players where traded and because he knew what he wanted he could relatively easy scout on good personal: Smart players with a great shot and a short release time. The result was evident and gave the Spurs 2 championships in the coming years, resulting in more and more teams adjusting to the new metrics over time.
Despite the analysis, very few teams have gone to the play-off finals while the Spurs remained a championship contender for longer than a decade. The reason they did so well is not very evident in statistics, but it is when you watch them play. The simple players who could only shoot very well knew they weren’t the best athletes. The lack of being this all around complete player forced them to compete harder. Every year a faster, better shooter could come up, forcing the current players to work their behinds off just to stay on the team. This resulted in a hardworking team that dived for loose balls and wasn’t faced by adversity. Character, only observed by the naked eye.