Is there another undefeated path to the top of the NBA?
That's the question Ben Kaplan and Danny Perkins set out to answer in their book, Pipeline to the Pros, which delves into the growing relationship between Division III college programs and the NBA's top positions.
This book began with a simple observation. In 2020, Kaplan noticed that 12 of the NBA's 30 teams are led in some way by Division III alumni, including coaches, general managers and top executives.
It was strange when Kaplan called Perkins to share this information. Until then, they did not speak on the phone. The two had been friends since elementary school, and although they lived about 10 minutes apart at the time, they were so close that there was no need to call.
In other words, Kaplan's call was about business. It was a step out of their comfort zone. Mr. Kaplan works in the field of analysis and strategic management, while Mr. Perkins is the host of his “Perkins & Spiegel Show” on WSCR-AM 670. But once Perkins heard the proposal, he was ready to jump in. .
“I love big projects,” Perkins says. “The radio show is the main thing, it's my favorite thing and what I'm best at, but I'm always trying to do other things.”
It was both the best and worst time to write a book. Perkins' father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and was rapidly declining. His brother had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Perkins had a young son and another son born. Shortly after they began their research, Kaplan's father was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer.
But Perkins and Kaplan felt that the book provided a much-needed sanctuary amidst the turmoil that plagued their lives.
“I'm grateful that this book allowed a few of my friends to work together on a project and escape from the serious problems we were facing,” Perkins said. “The acknowledgments might be my personal favorite part of the book. I don't like hearing myself say it because it's so smug and referential. But that was the book.
“It didn’t make it any less painful to see my fathers die from the disease, but it was nice to be able to talk about it and other things with my best friend.”
Kaplan and Perkins accepted an extensive research schedule. Over three years, they have worked with top NBA experts such as Hubie Brown, Brad Stevens, Jeff Van Gundy, Stan Van Gundy, Phil Jackson, Dick Vitale, Daryl Morey, and Frank Vogel. We also talked about time on the phone. If they couldn't secure interviews with more elusive sources like Gregg Popovich, they called people like Popovich's academic advisor when the legendary coach played at Pomona. Ta.
Throughout this process, a clear pattern emerged. The boom in Division III success in the NBA directly correlates with the rise of data and analytics, which has pushed the game even further away from his 3-point arc over the past decade.
“They're not responsible for analyzing the NBA,” Perkins said. “That's been the story of the NBA for the last 10 years. These are the types of people who understand why it's the mathematically correct thing to do, so they're more likely to get hired.
“They're smart, they're analytical, and they come from a variety of backgrounds. And new executives who have made their money in the tech industry have more faith in these types of people.”
The rise of analytics also reflects a decline in former players taking on key coaching and front office roles across the league. Kaplan and Perkins believe this reflects the expanding scope of roles within NBA organizations, from data analysis to film scouting to draft preparation.
In this context, it makes sense that front offices would look to hire talent from diverse backgrounds who break the mold of traditional blue-blooded basketball programs.
“The job has become much larger and much more complex in terms of all the things that have to be managed, all the information that has to be captured and integrated,” Kaplan said. “That requires not only invaluable experience from how long you've been in the NBA, but also training on the job.”
While this pipeline brings more diverse academic and intellectual backgrounds to the forefront of the NBA, Kaplan and Perkins could hinder the league's goal of improving racial diversity at the highest executive level. I was also wary of the fact that
Perkins spoke with Black alumni from Division III programs, including Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman and Houston Rockets general manager Raphael Stone, and discussed how front offices have failed to balance this aspect of recruiting. I wish they would emphasize how many of them are.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about how to address the fact that the Negro Leagues are overwhelmingly dominant and this pipeline doesn't have front offices or coaching staffs that are aligned with the player base. ,” Perkins said. “The coaching staff has actually made some pretty significant improvements in that area, but if you look at the data very recently, the front office is still lagging behind.”
Kaplan and Perkins can point to favorite memories from their years of research, including their first interview with Jeff Van Gundy and long conversations with Stevens and Brown. But the best moment of the process for both writers was when they unpacked their first set of books and gave a copy to their mother.
The book is about basketball trends and the NBA-wide talent pipeline, but at its core it's a year-long conversation between two friends about a mutual love.
“It wasn't easy asking Danny to do this. We never wanted him to feel forced into anything, especially when he was going through so much.” Kaplan said. “For him to sign on and do this and not only realize my dream and passion project, but also realize something so much bigger than I could have ever dreamed, was a truly incredible act of friendship. did.”