The Nuggets under first-year GM & Exec VP/Basketball Operations Tim Connelly are "taking a full bite" out of the "NBA's analytics pie," according to Christopher Dempsey of the DENVER POST. The Nuggets "want to be more efficient on the court -- and make better personnel decisions off the court." Connelly said, "I think it's a tool that can't be ignored. You can't bury your head in the sand and not get better." Nuggets Manager of Basketball Analytics Tommy Balcetis is "among three individuals in the Denver organization who have strong analytic minds." Assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas previously worked for the Rockets, one of the NBA "leaders in using advanced metrics." International Scout Rafal Juc also "has a reputation for digging deep into stats." Connelly said, "We'll be aggressive in making sure, prior to making any moves or identifying potential acquisitions, that we understand their statistical DNA and we're not left in the dark." The Nuggets will be "using more analytics than ever when it comes to draft and free-agent decisions." Balcetis said, "It's part of overall decision-making. It's never going to be the No. 1 thing to determine whether a person is a good player or not, but it's going to be a part of a bigger sort of pie in terms of decision-making" (DENVER POST, 10/20).
