In the 2015-2016 season, the Golden State Warriors achieved the best record in NBA history: 73 wins and nine losses. By 2022, they had won four championships in seven years.

Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, along with Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, deserve most of the credit for the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty. However, the Warriors also built one of the NBA’s most sophisticated approaches to data analytics.

Today, the Warriors use data for everything from evaluating potential trades to analyzing different lineups using advanced metrics. However, their front office has failed to capitalize on the later years of Curry’s career due to poor roster and financial management.

The new NBA collective bargaining agreement, which introduced the second apron, has not helped the Warriors regain their glory because it focused on making superteams impossible to build. Accordingly, there have been eight consecutive different champions, including the Warriors in 2022.

Stephen Curry during the Warriors’ 2015–16 season, when he made an NBA-record 402 three-pointers and won his second MVP award. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

How the Warriors Use Data

Basketball has always centered around statistics like points, rebounds, and assists, which have been tracked for decades. These counting statistics have defined legacies and stirred up endless debates, yet the modern NBA makes teams dive deeper.

In 2013, the NBA began installing the SportVU optical player-tracking system in every arena. SportVU uses six cameras to provide data on speed, distance, spacing, and possession.

For NBA teams, that information can help answer questions traditional box scores cannot. Thus, similar to sabermetrics in baseball, teams have begun using advanced metrics like net rating, true shooting percentage, and usage rate to make calculated acquisitions and signings.

For example, during the 2021–22 season, Golden State finished with the NBA’s best defensive rating despite relying on smaller, versatile lineups. In the first round of the 2022 playoffs, their starting five of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green recorded a +34.4 net rating.

Steve Kerr has also said that the analytics staff provides data about lineup combinations, play types, and efficiency ratings that helps him prepare for games. In addition to lineup optimization, the Warriors’ data analytics system can generate up to 6,000 different trade scenarios.

These models can give the Warriors an advantage in trade negotiations by helping the front office identify players who may be undervalued. Overall, data analytics is just a helper for the team, which is why every NBA team today has an analytics department.

Stephen Curry’s 2015–16 shot chart, comparing his field-goal percentage from different areas of the court with the NBA average. Visualization: Todd W. Schneider/BallR. Data: NBA Stats.

Data and the Warriors’ Style of Basketball

Since 2015, the Warriors have transformed how NBA teams view the three-point shot. During their 73-win season, Golden State attempted more than 2,500 three-pointers, with Curry making an NBA-record 402.

Still, the Warriors didn’t become great because Curry shot more three-pointers; they were able to use data to understand how they could get more efficient shots and spacing. Draymond Green’s versatility let Golden State use smaller lineups, allowing them to outscore their opponents.

The result of Golden State’s dynasty is an evolved style of basketball that has pushed the rest of the NBA toward three-point shooting, spacing, and positionless lineups.

Stephen Curry shoots a three-pointer during the Warriors’ 2015–16 season, when he made an NBA-record 402 threes. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Data Doesn’t Win Championships, People Do

Overall, the Warriors won because they utilized data analytics to improve their players. They gave Curry more space to shoot and allowed Draymond to pick apart defenses.

Ultimately, in the modern NBA, with all its new financial rules, the best teams are the ones who can use this advanced data and build a team that lives up to its full potential.

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How much of the Warriors’ dynasty do you credit to data analytics? Comment below and follow SportsBizInsights for sports business stories!