PRE On Moneyball, How To Attract Top Tier Talent, Spending $12,000 On Desks And More
82Aaron "PRE" Heckman has moved quickly through the ranks in the Overwatch League. Initially starting out as an analyst for the New York Excelsior, he moved to the Justice to become an assistant coach. Only shortly after in the mid-season of 2019, he assumed the position of an Assistant General Manager and eventually received the full title of GM at the end of May in 2020 going through four different job descriptions in just two years. However, what PRE actually did for those teams was consistent throughout his esports career. He’s a facilitator, trying to solve problems before they become points of friction.
In this long-form interview with GGRecon he outlines the process he had to go through to become better at what he does and which learnings he took from being part of one of the worst-performing Overwatch League franchises in the League during season 2 and 3, all while wrapping his ideas in basketball references and keeping a sense of humour about it.
Other than his personal growth, the interview covered a wide range of topics, from building a working relationship with Hyeong-seok "WizardHyeong" Kim, Moneyball, Justice’s constant changes in team staff and players, moving to the groove of the chaotic nature of succeeding in Overwatch, what it takes to attract star players like Tae-sung "Mag" Kim and Gui-un "Decay" Jang, and much more.
0:00 - Intro
0:05 - What did PRE do before joining the Washington Justice?
2:29 - Did PRE play video games?
4:30 - What made PRE take the leap into esports?
6:15 - What was the nature of the role at NYXL and now at the Justice?
12:25 - Did PRE provide micro or macro analysis to the team?
13:54 - How did statistical analysis work in NYXL?
17:47 - Would NYXL have been as successful without looking at stats?
19:35 - What was it like working for NYXL?
21:05 - Did PRE apply to the Justice independently or through Wizardhyeong?
22:38 - What was his job at the Justice?
24:56 - Was management always the goal?
27:05 - What was the Justice’s interpretation of the Moneyball approach?
29:10 - Was GOATs staying around the biggest issue with the Justice in season 2?
31:55 - What happened to LullSiSH?
33:40 - What were the expectations coming into season 2?
34:55 - What was finally winning in stage 4 like?
37:30 - How does meta impact team synergy?
39:11 - As a likely top team in season 4, how does PRE think about meta changes?
43:02 - How do seven-man rosters manage in season 4?
45:43 - What’s it like peaking at the end of the season but losing a lot in the rest of the season?
48:05 - What was the atmosphere like when PRE took over as GM?
50:30 - Why does PRE think Corey retired and would they have otherwise continued with him?
53:17 - What did it take to convince JJANU and Stitch?
59:25 - How did the Justice secure Decay and how much did they pay?
1:06:50 - How important was showing a strong performance in playoffs to attracting top tier talent in season 4?
1:09:19 - How the Justice gained tremendously from volatility in the market
1:12:30 - What was the process of signing Mag?
1:15:35 - Why was Mag not in the League in season 3 already?
1:16:49 - What were the arguments that convinced Mag to join the Justice?
1:22:55 - How big of a selling point is contract safety for players?
1:26:05 - Why did the Justice part ways with JJANU?
1:30:10 - What can fans expect Ria to play?
1:32:27 - Was Ria signed by the time you wanted Fury?
1:33:55 - Why does the Justice want two offtanks?
1:37:35 - What was the selection process for Closer like?
1:40:50 - Has the Justice looked at Rascal and Libero?
1:43:59 - Is there going to be a second wave of signings?
1:45:45 - Has the Justice considered going to Korea for season 4?
1:47:40 - Which regular-season placement would satisfy PRE?
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