Dean Oliver literally wrote the book on basketball analytics. He has worked for multiple NBA teams, most recently the Kings.
In 2019, every NBA team has an analytics specialist in its front office. Those hires are no longer notable.
But there’s a twist on the Wizards hiring Oliver.
Oliver, widely known as a pioneer in sports analytics, will bring his skillset to the coaching staff.
Oliver isn’t totally a one-trick pony. He played and assistant-coached at Cal Tech.
All teams use statistics for in-game strategy.
But few teams have a coach who’s so analytically focused. It’ll be interesting to see how Washington utilizes Oliver.