Charles Barkley Comments on Role of Advanced Statistics, Analytics in NBA

Charles Barkley is never afraid to speak his mind. The longtime NBA star and current TNT analyst illustrated that again with his comments on the role of advanced statistics in the NBA, in which he mentioned the Houston Rockets and general manager Daryl Morey.   

Barkley shared his thoughts during a postgame show Tuesday after the Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns. He explained why Houston doesn't come up when he talks about teams that could win the championship.

"First of all, I've always believed analytics was crap," Barkley said. "You know I never mention the Rockets as legitimate contenders 'cause they're not."

On Thursday, Feb. 12, Jim Boeheim supported Barkley's take, per Chris Carlson of The Post-Standard:

Barkley, who spent four seasons with Houston at the end of his NBA career in the late '90s, said talent—not just statistics—is required to win championships. 

"They say that same crap in baseball, and they put these little lightweight teams together and they never win," Barkley said. "They're always competitive to a certain degree and they don't win. It's the same thing in the NBA."

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Barkley's criticism of the Rockets defense prompted a dialogue with Morey, according to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.

In turn, Morey sent out a tweet about the analyst during Tuesday's matchup:

After the game, Barkley, who said he "wouldn't know Daryl Morey if he walked into this room right now," argued that stats don't always tell the whole story about the way a team is playing, giving a nod to Houston's defense.

"They're not a good defensive team. They gave up 118 points. No good team gives up 118 points," Barkley said of Tuesday's game, which the Rockets won, 127-118.

Houston ranks seventh in defensive efficiency, according to ESPN. It's a debate that's raged on since advanced numbers began playing a much larger role in the sports landscape. Clearly, Barkley and Morey stand on different sides of the fence.