What Media Measurement Can Learn From Basketball’s Shift Beyond Scoring (Clone)

Why Last-Click Metrics Miss What Actually Drives Growth

Nikola Jokić is considered by many the best basketball player in the world even though he’s never led the league in scoring. This is somewhat abnormal historically — points per game (PPG) is the default stat — the shorthand fans use to define greatness. Every basketball fan knows that when you say “he averages 30”, you are talking about points.

So how did Nikola Jokić become a three-time MVP without ever leading the league in scoring? One major reason: analytics.

The NBA has embraced analytics far beyond traditional box score stats like points, moving toward value-driven metrics like WAR, PER, RAPTOR, WS/48, etc. that measure efficiency and on-court impact. These advanced metrics consistently rank Jokić at or near the top of the league, often above more traditional “volume scorers.”

At the core of this analytical love is impact. The Denver Nuggets perform dramatically better with Jokić on the floor — last season, the team outscored opponents by +5.3 points with him playing, compared to being outscored by 4.5 points without him (per 100 possessions). When Jokic plays, Denver is great; when he doesn’t, not so much.

This advanced-metrics view of Jokić’s value has generated debate, but despite skepticism, analytics adoption hasn’t slowed — it’s accelerated. Research shows that NBA teams that invest more in analytics staff and data capabilities tend to win more games. An MIT study estimated that adding roughly 0.8 of a data analyst to a team’s staff correlates with one additional win per season, roughly equivalent to adding nearly $9.6 million in roster payroll.

In 2023, the face of basketball analytics led his team to an NBA championship and won Finals MVP, underscoring the payoff of listening to the numbers. Analytics doesn’t guarantee success every time, but in aggregate, data-driven decisions outperform intuition alone.

What Does This Have to Do With Media Analytics?

Everything.

Having worked in both sports and media analytics, the parallels are clear.

In both fields, long-standing success metrics were simple, visible, and widely understood — but incomplete. Basketball historically rewarded scorers; media too often rewards the last click. Both still matter, but neither tells the full story on its own.

Many brands still treat analytics as secondary to execution — a “nice-to-have” rather than a strategic foundation. In sports, analytics adoption once varied widely by team. Today, it’s core to team strategy, scouting, player development, and in-game decision-making.

The brands that will win in the long run are those that look beyond superficial platform metrics. Traditional success measures still matter — clicks and revenue still drive business, just like points still win games. But eventually, deeper insight is required.

Brands that optimize only for last-click performance miss broader value. Media analytics must help teams understand incremental impact, attribution complexity, cross-channel effects, and true business lift — not just the channel that happens to “score” the conversion. Without this, a media strategy is like a talented basketball roster that doesn’t quite fit together.

So Why Aren’t All Brands Embracing Analytics?

The most common reason is perceived cost and unclear ROI.

Analytics rarely has a clean, immediate return like a click or a sale. Historically, tools like media mix models were slow and expensive, giving analytics a “pay-to-play” reputation.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

At BCM, we believe media analytics should do what basketball analytics already has: separate scoring from winning. By focusing on incrementality and smarter measurement, brands can uncover value that last-click metrics miss. The goal isn’t perfect attribution — it’s better decisions. Over time, that’s what drives sustainable growth.