
In basketball, PER is an acronym for Player Efficiency Rating. It is a per-minute rating developed by ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger to evaluate a player's production. The formula takes 12 different stats into account, including field goals, rebounds, and fouls, with each stat weighted differently. For instance, field goals are worth the most, while turnovers are the least. The calculation can be confusing, but it provides an easy-to-read number that indicates a player's efficiency. A good NBA PER rating is 15, while a score in the high 20s or 30s indicates a great player.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Player Efficiency Rating |
| Developed by | ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger |
| Purpose | Collect or boil down all of a player's contributions into one number |
| Calculation | A detailed formula that takes 12 different stats into account, including field goals, rebounds, fouls, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, blocks, steals, missed shots, turnovers, etc. |
| League Average | 15 |
| Player Rating | Anything above 15 is good, and anything in the high 20s or 30s is considered great |
| Limitations | Does not consider clutch scoring, leadership, and the team's pace; places too much importance on scoring; does not adequately value defensive players |
| Use Cases | Evaluating players in fantasy basketball, comparing players across seasons and teams |
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What You'll Learn

Calculating a player's efficiency rating
The Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a per-minute rating developed by ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger. It is a comprehensive statistic that evaluates a player's production and sums up all their positive accomplishments while subtracting the negative ones. It is calculated using 12 different stats, including field goals, rebounds, and fouls, each weighed differently. For instance, field goals are worth the most, while turnovers are the least. The weight of these stats was determined by Hollinger, based on his beliefs about the essential stats in basketball.
While PER is a widely used metric, it has its limitations. One criticism is that defensive specialists are often undervalued because there are not many reliable defensive stats to input into the formula. Good defense is challenging to quantify, and defensive measures do not carry as much weight in the calculation. As a result, defensive players will have a lower PER than offensive players, even though they might be equally important to the team. Another downside is that, like any mathematical formula, there is little room for more human considerations such as clutch scoring, leadership, and the team's pace.
Despite these shortcomings, PER is a valuable tool for understanding a player's efficiency and effectiveness, especially when considering role players with limited minutes. It provides a snapshot of where players stand in relation to one another, and top players typically rank highly on the PER list.
Calculating a player's PER can be complex, but it essentially involves taking various stats and percentages from different areas and condensing them into a single, easily digestible number. While the exact formula can be intricate, the fundamental principle is to capture a player's overall performance and productivity during a game.
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PER's use in basketball betting
Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a metric used to evaluate basketball players. It is calculated using a detailed formula that takes into account a range of statistical performance indicators, including field goals, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls. The formula, developed by John Hollinger, weighs each of these factors differently, with field goals considered the most important and turnovers the least. This results in a single number that represents a player's overall efficiency.
While PER is a useful tool for evaluating players, it has limitations when used in basketball betting. One of the main criticisms of PER is that it places too much emphasis on scoring, with defensive measures carrying less weight in the calculation. This means that defensive players may be undervalued compared to offensive players, even though they can be just as important to a team's success. Additionally, PER does not account for intangibles such as leadership, clutch scoring, and the team's pace.
Despite these limitations, PER can still be a valuable tool for basketball betting when used in conjunction with other information. It can help bettors understand the value of individual players and make more informed decisions. For example, PER can be useful for determining the impact of injuries on a team's performance. By considering the PER of an injured player, bettors can gain insight into how their absence might affect the team's overall performance and make more informed predictions.
Another way PER can be applied in basketball betting is through Points, Rebounds, and Assists (PRAs). This metric considers a player's total points, rebounds, and assists in a single game, providing a comprehensive measure of their overall impact on the game's outcome. PRAs have become a popular type of bet as they offer a nuanced and holistic view of a player's performance, transcending mere scoring to include their contribution to team dynamics and game strategy. By blending statistical analysis with an understanding of current game dynamics, bettors can make more informed predictions when betting on PRAs.
In conclusion, while PER has its limitations, it can be a valuable tool for basketball betting when used alongside other information and metrics such as PRAs. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of PER, bettors can make more informed decisions and gain a deeper insight into the complex dynamics of basketball gameplay and team performance.
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PER's limitations
John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a basketball rating system that attempts to consolidate a player's overall impact on the game into a single number. It takes into account a wide range of positive and negative statistics, including field goals, rebounds, fouls, and turnovers, with each statistic weighted differently.
Despite its popularity and ease of interpretation, PER has several limitations:
Limited Applicability to Defensive Players
PER is primarily focused on offensive performance, and while it does consider defensive statistics like blocks and steals, these may not provide an accurate representation of a player's defensive abilities. This can disadvantage defensive players, as their PER may be lower than that of offensive players, even if they are equally valuable to the team.
Overemphasis on Scoring
Some argue that PER places too much emphasis on scoring, as defensive measures carry less weight in the calculation. This can skew the ratings in favor of players with high-scoring contributions, even if their overall impact on the game is not significantly higher than defensive players.
Inadequate Consideration of Playing Time
PER measures per-minute performance, which can skew the ratings in favor of players with lower playing time but high usage rates. This can lead to an inflated PER for substitutes or players with limited minutes, as it does not fully account for the impact of playing time on a player's performance.
Potential to Reward Inefficient Shooting
PER's weighting system can reward players for inefficient shooting. For example, a player will break even on two-point field goal attempts if they make around 30.4% of their shots, and any percentage above this threshold increases their value in PER. This can incentivize players to prioritize shooting over other aspects of the game.
Lack of Contextual Factors
PER, like any mathematical formula, may not fully capture contextual factors such as clutch scoring, leadership, and the team's pace. These human considerations play a crucial role in a player's overall impact but may not be adequately reflected in the PER calculation.
Historical Data Limitations
Additionally, it is important to note that PER cannot be calculated for NBA seasons before 1978 due to limitations in the data available, such as the lack of tracking of turnovers and other advanced statistics. This limits the ability to compare players across historical contexts and may skew the ratings for players from earlier eras.
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PER's evolution
Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a statistical metric in basketball that attempts to quantify a player's overall performance and impact on the game. Created by sportswriter John Hollinger in the late 1990s, PER has become one of the most popular and mainstream advanced stats in the NBA.
The evolution of PER can be traced back to Hollinger's observation that traditional counting statistics in basketball, such as field goals and rebounds, do not fully capture a player's value. He proposed that a player's opportunities to accumulate statistics depend on factors like playing time and the pace of the game. This led to the development of PER, which strives to measure a player's per-minute performance while adjusting for pace.
The PER formula is complex and comprehensive, taking into account various positive and negative statistical factors. It includes positive results such as field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals, while also considering negative outcomes like missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls. Each of these individual stats is weighted differently within the formula, with field goals typically carrying the most weight and turnovers the least.
Over time, PER has evolved and gained widespread adoption within the NBA. It has influenced how front offices evaluate players, how coaches develop game plans, and even how players approach the game. However, it is not without its limitations and criticisms. Some argue that PER places too much emphasis on scoring and offensive performance, which can lead to defensive players being undervalued. Additionally, PER may not adequately capture the defensive acumen of players who specialise in defensive plays but accumulate fewer blocks or steals.
Despite these limitations, PER remains a widely used metric due to its ability to provide a single-number summary of a player's efficiency and productivity. It has sparked discussions and advancements in basketball analytics, with new metrics emerging alongside it. While it may not be the final answer for evaluating a player's accomplishments, PER has undoubtedly left its mark on the game by providing a quantitative lens for analysing basketball performance.
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PER's application
The Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a per-minute rating developed by ESPN.com columnist John Hollinger. It is a one-number measure of a player's per-minute productivity and is computed using a detailed, complex formula that adds positive stats and subtracts negative stats. The formula takes 12 different stats into account, including field goals, rebounds, and fouls, each weighed differently. For instance, field goals are worth the most, while turnovers are the least. The weight of these stats was determined by Hollinger, based on his beliefs about the essential stats in basketball.
PER is computed using a detailed formula that rates every player's statistical performance. It takes into account positive results, including field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals, and negative results, including missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls. The formula adds positive stats and subtracts negative ones through a statistical point value system. The rating for each player is then adjusted to a per-minute basis so that substitutes can be compared with starters in playing time debates.
The league-average PER is always 15, permitting comparisons of player performance across seasons. A good NBA PER rating is 15 for a player, which is an average score. However, to be considered "great," a player should aim for a PER in the high 20s or 30s.
While PER is one of the most comprehensive stats for basketball analytics, it has some downsides. It does not account for more human considerations such as clutch scoring, leadership, and the team's pace. It also places too much importance on scoring, with defensive measures carrying less weight in the calculation. This means that defensive players will have a lower PER than offensive players, despite their importance to the team.
Additionally, PER may reward inefficient shooting. For example, a player will break even on two-point field goal attempts if they hit 30.4% of their shots. However, the more shots a player takes, the higher their value in PERs, so a player can inflate their value by taking many shots, even if they are inefficient.
In conclusion, while PER has its limitations, it is a useful tool for measuring a player's efficiency and productivity in basketball. It allows for easy comparison between players by boiling down all their contributions into one number. However, it is important to consider other factors that may not be captured by this statistical measure.
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