Ok, I admit that I am not a huge basketball fan.  It ranks 4th in my preference of the 4 major sports in North America.  But, that does not mean that I do not appreciate greatness when I see it.  One can't help but admire the incredible talent of the Golden State Warriors, but more than that, they are a great "team".  They seem to relish not only scoring, but also passing, as they are one of the best passing teams I have ever seen. 

But, how much of their success is related to the great use of technology? 

Well, not all of it, of course.  I imagine Curry's shooting is more about practice and talent than technology, but one cannot discount the importance that technology has brought to this team.  And, when I say talent, I do mean what he inherited.  Back in my previous carrier days, I had the pleasure of helping Stephen's dad, Dell, when he as in Toronto having an issue with cell phone.  One day, I had to meet him at practice.  I sat in amazement as he hit 20 3-point shots in a row, all "swishes"... The apple does not fall far from that tree... 

But, back to today... 

It makes sense that the Warriors use a ton of technology....after all, they are owned by a "nerd", one who has made his money investing in technology startups.  They use a lot of technology during the game (namely advanced cameras to record player movement, fatigue, etc). But the really good stuff comes in when they are off the court. 

The Warriors use a lot of on-body analytics, delivered through sensor-based measurements from special clothing worn during practice.  By getting such valuable information, the training and coaching staff can better see the current well-being of the players, letting them know who is up to speed and whom they may need to rest.  This not only maximizes performance, but prevents injury during the long NBA season. 

But, it does not stop there.  The team also uses IoT to provide feedback on the mental and sleeping conditions of the players.  This is important especially for a western based team who often tend to do more travel / crossing time zones than an Eastern team does. 

The Bottom line

So, how much of an impact does this technology have?  I mean, they are a pretty talented team and I am sure that they would be title contenders even without it.  However, in this day and age where players are often pushed to the limits with travel and working out, I am sure that it helps.  Perhaps we can give some of it to the Cavs to make more of a series out of this!