Helena Frye
Basketball is a game of numbers. Beyond the final score, there are a plethora of statistics that can be used to analyse a player's or team's performance. These include points per game, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Each of these categories has a corresponding percentage that indicates a player's or team's efficiency in that particular area. For example, steal percentage estimates the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they are on the court. These percentages are calculated using formulas that consider various factors such as playing time, number of attempts, and the number of possessions by the opposing team. By understanding these percentages and how they are calculated, coaches, analysts, and fans can gain deeper insights into the game, evaluate players' contributions, and make strategic decisions to improve performance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rebounds | Getting the ball back for your team |
| Points per game | |
| Free throw percentages | 75% in the NBA since 1958; 69% in the NCAA; estimated 55-60% in high school |
| Assists | Passing the ball to another player to make a basket |
| Assist percentage | The percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor |
| Defensive rating | The number of points allowed by a player per 100 possessions of the ball |
| Block percentage | The percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while on the floor |
| Box Plus/Minus | Points per 100 possessions that a player contributed above a league-average player |
| Offensive rebound percentage | The percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while on the floor |
| Steal Percentage | The percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while on the floor |
| Turnover Percentage | An estimate of turnovers per 100 plays |
| True shooting percentage | A player's efficiency at shooting the ball, including two- and three-point field goals and free throws |
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What You'll Learn
True shooting percentage
In basketball, true shooting percentage (TS%) is an advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball. It is intended to be a more accurate calculation of a player's shooting ability than field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point field goal percentage taken individually. Two- and three-point field goals and free throws are all considered in its calculation.
TS% is a useful metric for comparing players with varying responsibilities and shooting abilities on the court. A higher TS% generally indicates a more efficient scorer, while a lower percentage indicates a less efficient scorer. However, other aspects such as shot selection and offensive role should also be considered when evaluating a player's overall performance.
The formula for calculating TS% is: TS% = 0.5 * (Total Points)/{(Total Field Goal Attempts) + 0.44 * (Total Free Throw Attempts)}. The "0.44" multiplier in the formula estimates all free throws that take up possessions.
Some players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are known for consistently achieving high TS%, demonstrating their ability to score points efficiently for their teams. For example, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets have career true shooting percentages of 62.6% and 61.9% respectively, making them two of the most efficient scorers in NBA history.
In the WNBA, Sylvia Fowles and Jonquel Jones have recorded impressive career true shooting percentages of 63.6% and 61.7% respectively.
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Effective field goal percentage
FG + 0.5 * 3P) / FGA
Here, FG represents two-point field goals, 3P represents three-point field goals, and FGA represents total field goal attempts. This formula effectively weights three-point field goals more heavily than two-point field goals, giving a more accurate representation of a player's shooting efficiency.
For example, consider Player A, who makes 4 out of 10 field goal attempts, with 2 of them being three-pointers. Now, consider Player B, who also makes 4 out of 10 attempts but does not make any three-pointers. Both players score 10 points from field goals, so their effective field goal percentages are the same (50%). This example demonstrates how eFG% provides a more nuanced evaluation of players' scoring abilities by taking into account the extra point value of three-pointers.
Criticism of the eFG% formula points out that players with very high three-point shooting percentages can achieve an eFG% above 100%. This highlights the importance of balancing two-point and three-point shooting in a player's shot selection. Nevertheless, eFG% is a valuable metric for comparing players with different shooting styles and understanding the impact of three-point shooting on a team's offensive performance.
Another statistic similar to eFG% is true shooting percentage (TS%), which takes into account field goals, three-point field goals, and free throws. TS% provides an even more comprehensive view of a player's scoring efficiency by considering all possible ways of scoring in a game.
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Assist percentage
The assist percentage formula considers the number of assists made by a player, adjusted for the team's pace and minutes played. A team with a faster pace will provide more assist opportunities per minute for its players. Therefore, when comparing assist percentages, it is crucial to consider the team's playing style and pace to gain a fuller understanding of a player's assisting abilities.
In conclusion, assist percentage is a valuable statistic in basketball that helps evaluate a player's passing skills, their contribution to the team's scoring, and their ability to facilitate assists within the team's system. By understanding assist percentage and related metrics, coaches, analysts, and players can make more informed decisions to enhance their gameplay and overall performance.
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Block percentage
Post players, such as the power forward and center, usually achieve the most blocked shots within a single game or season, as they are typically the tallest members of a team with the longest wingspan. However, perimeter players can also occasionally block shots, generally near the perimeter areas of the court.
Having a blocker on the team can be advantageous as it can intimidate the opposing team, causing them to shoot more rapidly, less efficiently, or from further away. A defensive team without a shot blocker could be detrimental as field goal attempts in the lane and around the rim are typically high-quality shots with a high percentage of scoring opportunities.
The block percentage of most teams is around 4-6%. The top five blocking teams by rate are the Golden State Warriors (9.46%), San Antonio Spurs (7.00%), Milwaukee Bucks (6.76%), Toronto Raptors (6.51%), and Utah Jazz (6.39%).
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Steal percentage
> Steal% = 100 * (Player's Steals * Team's Total Minutes) / (Player's Minutes Played * Opponent's Possessions)
In summary, steal percentage is a crucial statistic in basketball that provides insight into a player's defensive capabilities and their impact on the flow of the game. It is calculated using the formula above and helps evaluate the effectiveness of a player's stealing skills.
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Frequently asked questions
A good free throw percentage will be anything above the average. The National Basketball Association (NBA) average free throw percentage has been about 75% since 1958, while the NCAA average is about 69%.
True shooting percentage (TS%) is an advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball. It considers two- and three-point field goals and free throws in its calculation. It is intended to be a more accurate calculation of a player's shooting than field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point field goal percentage taken individually.
Usage rate, or NBA usage percentage, is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they are on the floor. It can be calculated with how a possession ends, such as a field-goal or free-throw attempt, or a turnover. A player with a high usage rate is likely the primary option for their team.
