but the point of non box-score metrics--like that high quality pass percentage he mentioned--is to quantity the kind of thing that a scout could see, without the problems that arise from anecdotal observation. they offer a set of numbers that can be used to validate or counter what people are seeing.

you couldn't learn what lin's "high value pass" percentage was unless you tracked every second of every game, so it's not like they're just plugging box scores into a texas instruments calculator.

if someone watches a game and believes dwyane wade is fantastic at closing out on shooters, spacial analytics could see if it was true by tracking his speed and seeing how opponents' FG% on jumpers changed when wade was in the vicinity. once you know those results, you could set up your defense with the knowledge that wade can take one more step into the paint and still have time to disrupt a specific players' shot -- but maybe not against a different opponent.