When the Model Meets Human: The Future of Basketball Decision-Making

Basketball analytics has evolved far beyond shot charts and efficiency metrics. Today's teams operate in an era of player-tracking data, biomechanical modeling, and emerging AI systems capable of influencing decisions in real time. But as data becomes more powerful, new questions emerge: What aspects of basketball can truly be modeled, and what still relies on human instinct? Are teams optimizing for winning or merely for avoiding mistakes? And how do players experience a game increasingly shaped by algorithms behind the scenes? This panel brings together leaders from coaching, front offices, player personnel, and the court itself to explore how analytics is actually used inside modern basketball organizations. As AI enters the next phase of sports decision-making, this conversation asks a bigger question: Is the future of basketball driven by better models, or by better understanding of the people who play the game?