Yes.

These revelations kind of fell into my lap.

I completely agree that basketball is nothing more than what takes place on the court (and in between games for the players and coaches). If we had perfect recall of every play for every player in every game, we could just instantly access all that information. Unfortunately (or not) we can't, so we have to make up all these categories and short cuts to remember, all of this secondary crap, so we don't just keep selective memories that may send us way off base.

As you imply, it's not true basketball, it's just stats, but it really, really helps …especially for coaches. Plus, for many of us, it provides insights, learning, and fun!

But, as you say, the real stuff is what you hear and see on the court.