Today's game started early, at 3:00 p.m.
Three hours before tip-off, the Kings submitted their active roster.
When the roster came in, Pelicans head coach Rondo snatched it up without hesitation.
The other names were all expected, but when he spotted Doug Lambier on the Kings' active roster, he furrowed his brow.
The young assistant coach beside him frowned too. "Doug Lambier, the new signing for the Kings? Wouldn't that be against the rules? Teams aren't allowed to sign players after the playoffs begin."
Rondo shook his head. "You haven't done your homework. The Kings signed Doug Lambier last season; he just hasn't played a single game."
The young assistant coach couldn't help smiling at that. "Coach, there's no need to worry. He hasn't played in two years. Even Wang Yi would be washed up after that, let alone a fringe player."
Rondo still looked concerned. He turned to the data analyst beside him. "Sorry for the trouble, but gather whatever information you can on Doug Lambier's recent years in overseas leagues."
The analyst nodded and immediately made several calls.
Before long, information on Doug Lambier's overseas games over the past few years began coming in.
Of course, a data analyst's job wasn't as simple as making a few calls and collecting information. If it were, anyone could do it.
A good data analyst had to do more than gather information. They also had to review game footage to assess whether that information was reliable and accurate.
They had to determine whether it could be used as a trustworthy reference.
If not, they had to watch nearly every game the player had played, collect and organize the information themselves, then analyze its deeper significance.
That was the real purpose of a data analyst.
But clearly, that wasn't something they could