Artificial Intelligence is changing the game—literally. But when Philadelphia 76ers’ President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, admitted to using AI for team decisions, it didn’t sit well with everyone. The Sixers just endured one of their most frustrating seasons, filled with injuries and shattered expectations, and now, Morey’s tech-driven approach is under the microscope. And who better to call it out than Draymond Green? The Warriors veteran didn’t hold back, pointing to a glaring flaw in Morey’s resume that could spell trouble for Philly’s future.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Sixers were among the top teams considered to be the championship favorites. With players like Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey in the fold, it’s natural to think that way. But they had everything go wrong, as two of those stars have almost exited with season-ending injuries. Now, while the fans painfully look forward to the upcoming season, the 52-year-old dropped a crucial update.

Of course, the use of AI would bring success, as it takes a significant load off the decision-makers. However, before fans could relax, Green issued a caution. The 4x NBA Champ compared Daryl Morey’s similar initiative from the past and brought a justifiable analogy.

Speaking in the latest episode of his podcast, Green said, “Daryl Morey was at the forefront of pushing analytics into the NBA.” Well, Moreyball, a data-driven approach, is still a thing that majorly emphasizes points per possession based on. Morey played a crucial role in the league, pushing the game away from mid-range and more into perimeter shooting. It did sell across the league. However, there’s a catch. 

Draymond Green continued, “Use analytics to help you process and validate your opinions on basketball. In turn, it created paths for guys like Daryl Morey in the NBA that ain’t never really played basketball.” While we can’t evaluate whether it turned into a success or not, it did make the noise. Now, comparing it to recent AI involvement, DrayMagic gave a heads-up, saying, “It’s no surprise that he is at the forefront of the use of AI. What I caution you of, he never won. So, there’s that.” Alright, that’s a big gap. Anyway, let’s find out what Morey’s AI is all about.

Amid Draymond Green’s criticism, how will Daryl Morey bring AI into decision-making?

Recently, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference became a highlight event after the discussion of AI in the sports world. Daryl Morey, the former GM of the Houston Rockets and Sixers‘ President, has been a pioneer in bringing data-driven analytics to the NBA. So, he is undoubtedly the best person to talk about the introduction of new tech into sports. 

Surprisingly, Morey had already begun the process with the use of LLP, an AI model like ChatGPT. Speaking at the conference, he said, “We absolutely use models as a vote in any decision, and how much of those decisions depends on the assumptions behind those models. So, if you have a highly successful model for picking draft picks, and we think that the game hasn’t changed.”

Over the last 8 years, the Sixers had two #1 picks and tanked both. The team picked Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz with the first pick in two consecutive years. Apart from Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, none of the recent picks have shown promise. So, if at all, the AI models help them land the right player for the team, then there’s no second guessing.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.