Talking NBA with Dr. Jacob Loeffelholz – Sports Analyst
2014-06-25
Dr. Jacob Loeffelholz is the Director of Perduco Sports. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him a few times to talk hoops, analytics, fantasy sports, the Browns draft, etc etc. He rubs elbows with the Daryl Moreys of the world each year at the Sloan Conference and has worked various problems as a consultant for a number of pro teams. I wanted to get his take on the Cavs, the Finals, the upcoming draft, and to get a sense of how analysts scout the college game. If you’ve got Wiggins/Parker debate syndrome you’ll find Jacob’s thoughts on what the Cavs should do at the 48 minute mark.
https://soundcloud.com/tom-pestak-1/cavs-thepodcast-interview-with-jacob-loeffelholz
Topics:
Podcast Introduction: 0:00-3:26
Jacob’s Background: 3:27-7:30
SportVu Data: 7:30 – 13:04
The NBA is a Business: 13:04 – 15:30
Are they reading blogs?: 15:30 – 16:50
Griff and the Cavs: 16:50 – 18:00
College Analytics: 18:00 – 29:18
Last Year’s Draft: 29:18 – 33:00
Kawhi and the Spurs: 33:00 – 48:00
This year’s draft for the Cavs: 48:00 – 1:02:20
Other guys in this year’s draft: 1:02:20 – 1:06:58
LeBron Sending a Message?: 1:06:58 – 1:11:20
Tom Bragging about his Fantasy Team: 1:11:20 – 1:12:27
The Paper that he references (the one that Mark Cuban read) can be found here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/145870374/Predicting-NBA-Games-Using-Neural-Networks
Tom Pestak has a very calming voice and despite him saying he’s super nervous he sounds WAY calm. I like this.
Keep Calm and Draft Wiggins. Or Parker. Or trade the pick…
Draft Wiggins and be done with it. Getting lesser guys wins nothing. The Heat and Spurs have won a bunch of titles recently. Why? Because the Spurs have 3 HOF plus some good young guys. Because the Heat have 3 HOF plus some good old guys. Before that the Lakers won because they had at least 2 HOF and a bunch of good guys. The Celtics won with 3 HOF plus Rondo. Get us Wiggins, who has HOF potential and pair him with Irving who also has HOF potential and fill in with good young guys like Waiters and Bennett.… Read more »
Can’t agree more. It would blow my mind if we traded down for above average starters, just for the right to get swept as a 7 seed. Afflalo is also a 1 year rental, almost certainly gonna opt out the year after. So given we’re not winning anything next year, it’s in essence swapping the 1 for the 4 and 12. I suppose if you did something like this, you better be damn sure Embiid is gonna be healthy, because in what seems to be about a 9 deep draft, you’re hoping the 12th pick turns into a solid starter.… Read more »
Lol! “HOF potential?” You are without question either the stupidest poster or the most clever satirist on this board!
One last link for you climate change deniers (I call you that because you base your opinions on nothing and ignore facts and figures.): http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11132747/kansas-jayhawks-shooting-guard-andrew-wiggins-rated-too-high-nba-draft
Anyone who doesn’t think Wiggins has HOF potential is an idiot. That doesn’t mean he gets there, but he definitely has that potential.
Kj- two things: 1) the link is insider only. Can you post the gist/melatonin of his argument/data? 2) you are looking at this as too black/white…supporters of Wiggins can point to facts and figures as well that imply he’s an excellent prospect. I know I said “two things”, but here’s a third: you gotta get a grip. You’re losing your shit every time someone posts anything remotely positive about Wiggins. You don’t really engage in dialogue, you declare dissenting opinions to be foolish, I’m expecting any time now you’ll start posting exclusively in all caps…take a mental health day, start… Read more »
Meat. Post the meat if his argument. Not melatonin. This iPhone typing/autocorrect is giving me fits…
“climate change deniers” !!!
There you have it, folks. “The science is settled.”
Great podcast, entertaining listen. I gotta say though, I highly disagree with the Cavs trading the pick in order to pick up a big man, and I don’t see how giving up on Wiggins and Parker to build around the team we have makes sense. By most scouts’ rankings, it would seem we’ve lucked into picking from 2 of the better prospects since the turn of the millenium. (e.g. Chad Ford’s list had Wiggins at 10 and Parker at 12). It doesn’t seem to make sense to lose out on this pick to build around a 33 win team. Moving… Read more »
Right. Trading this pick would be so stupid. Unless we are getting a start back there’s no reason to trade it for the likes of Lee, Thompson, Favors, etc.
Don’t be stupid Griffin. Draft Wiggins (or Parker, I guess). Draft Wiggins. Draft Wiggins. Draft Wiggins.
I really can’t say I mind trading back. The more I think about it the more I feel ok with the Orlando deal. Cols, you criticize Griffin for potentially being risk averse but wouldn’t the risk taking move with home run potential be to take Embiid? Imagine if we end this draft With a lineup of Kyrie, Afflalo, Rodney Hood, Bennett & Zeller/Andy w/ Dion as your 6th man. That’s an actual team! It makes sense! Probably even a playoff team in the horrendous East. And that’s not counting Embiid who Chad Ford ranked as the 9th best prospect since… Read more »
Trading for a guy like Afflalo seems shortsighted and dumb. He doesn’t get us anywhere. What does he add, maybe 2 wins? So yeah, I think it’s dumb.
He ranked embiid 9 pre foot screw up. Em bidi is a huuuuuge risk that could pay off but probably won’t.
When Cols talks about high risk he probably meant don’t outsmart yourself. Draft the dude you like out of the potential franchise changers, count your blessings, and move on. Don’t try to trade and trade to wiggle to the right spot to get your dude.