The 80-20 rule and other disproportionate percentage ideas like it are worth thinking about. I mean this generally and in a non-rigid way. The actual percentages aren't really important, more pertinent is the idea that to comprehend the NBA we need to understand that some things are vastly more important than other things.
Here are some examples of what I am saying and believe in. Again, don't get caught up in the exact numbers, but notice the disproportionate values in all these examples. 80-20 helps you see the entire forest as opposed to just certain trees.
Traditional Pareto principle:
- 80% of a team's success comes from 20% of its players.
- 80% of a team's budget should be alloted to 20% of its players.
Some subjects I think about in terms of disproportionate value:
- 80% of a team's talent can be judged by statistics, 20% cannot.
- 80% of a win comes from effort and skill, 20% comes from luck.
- 80% of the players in the NBA are interchangeable, 20% are not.
- 80% of a team's success comes from pure talent, 20% from chemistry and coaching.
- 80% of teams in the league cannot seriously compete for the championship, 20% can.
- 80% of a player's production is not dependent on the situation, 20% depends on the timing and setting.
- 80% of the time stats accurately categorize a player, 20% of the time they do not.
These are just a few examples - there are countless others. The lesson, in short: don't sweat the small stuff. Some things are much more important than other things - prioritize. 80-20 thinking helps us do that. Focus on the most important things; always be aware of the big picture and don't stress out over small things. We can't be perfect, so don't try.
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