Brooklyn Nets seek new analytics director

The Nets are seeking  a Director of Analytics, five weeks before opening night, according to an ad on the team's website.  The ad, placed late last week, describes the job this way...

The Director of Basketball Analytics Charged with developing an analytical group to assist the front office and coaching staff. The incumbent is responsible for recommending process improvement and changes in order to facilitate and maintain efficient and confidential sharing of information that may be deemed sensitive

The position will report to Bobby Marks, the assistant GM. With the recent departures of Milton Lee and Scott Sereday, the Nets are without much analytic experience.  Sereday held the title of Statistical Analyst.  Prior to taking over as GM of the Springfield Armor three years ago, Lee had been director of basketball operations, responsible for overseeing the Nets statistical and analytical efforts.

The position, Director of Analtyics, will be a new position. The ad, on the Nets personnel page, suggests the Nets want to set up a staff, in that it discusses "an analytic group."  There's no indication of a strong internal candidate.

Lionel Hollins has famously criticized the analytics or deep stats movement. While in Memphis, he was faced with an organization that was pursuing more and deeper analytics, hiring John Hollinger, the ESPN stats guru, as vice president of basketball operations.  He let it be known back then that he thought the general trend was a bad one, saying in a radio interview... .

"We get hung up on statistics a little too much, and I think that's a bad trait all over the league that's taken place. And the media has done it because it's easy to go to the stats to make a point or to build up a player or tear down a player. Just the analyzing, I see it every time listening to talk show radio. You've got guys spouting off stat after stat after stat. The bottom line is going out and contributing to your team for winning."

Jason Kidd was not much an analtyics either, at one point re-assigning Charles Klask, an assistant coach who did in-game stats, to advance scouting.  Klask, who once worked with the Magic, has joined Stan Van Gundy in Detroit.

• Director of Basketball Analytics - Brooklyn Nets (Brooklyn, NY) - Brooklyn Nets