The Results of Statistical Analysis? The Right Questions.
Posted Feb. 26, 2010 by Casey Flanagan
Filed under: Uncategorized
Daryl Morey is the General Manager of the Houston Rockets. But his impact on the game of basketball is greater than that. Back in 2004, he initiated one of the first MBA programs with a sports analytics business class at MIT Sloan. It’s a blossoming field.
So how does a GM whose career is based on numbers sum up statistical analysis? I heard a podcast interview with him this morning where he was talking about really wonky basketball statistics. But in the chaos of his analytics, he shared a nugget of clarity. And I believe his perspective to be invaluable. His take? “There are issues with every analysis. The best thing (good) analysis does is raise the right questions.”
Well said.
Data does not equal knowledge. And knowledge does not equal results. There is a lot of rigorous work involved. Getting good data allows you ask the right questions. Executing on the right insight lays the foundation for good results.
That’s why a Google Analytics dashboard is just the first step. Our ability to capture data is phenomenal. We just need to make sure our analytic capabilities are functioning at that same level.
