Money Ball, Redux

This piece in the NYT Magazine this morning caught my eye. Its focus was Shane Battier and the use of statistics in the NBA to determine the true value of a player.

Using statistical analysis akin to that Michael Lewis chronicled in Money Ball, the Houston Rockets analyzed the field of available NBA talent a few years back. Knowing that most of their money was tied up in superstars Tracey McGrady and Yao Ming, they knew they had to be economical. Their choice was Shane Battier.

Mr. Battier, despite mundane statistics, proved extremely effective at making his team better and the other team worse whenever he was on the floor. Though his methods were discrete (getting a hand in the eyes of an opposing player during a shot, for example), and invisible to the usual box score, they translated into the most important stat: the W.

All this statistical analysis fascinates me. It makes me wonder if it has a place in our business. Obviously, insurance companies already do a considerable amount of analysis, which no doubt is used against plaintiffs whenever possible. I've been putting a lot of thought into it lately, and I think there are some opportunities for plaintiffs' attorneys to turn the tables a bit. We'll see.