Andrew Pace
Comparing basketball players' statistics is a popular way to evaluate individual performance and overall efficiency. Basic statistical categories include points (PTS), rebounds (REB), assists (AST), steals (STL), blocks (BLK), and free throws (FTA and FTM). Advanced metrics provide a more nuanced view, such as Player Efficiency Rating (PER), which considers a wider range of factors, including rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, fouls drawn, missed field goals, and turnovers. Another metric is Points per 100 Possessions, which measures a player's scoring output relative to their team's pace. While these advanced metrics offer a more comprehensive evaluation, basic statistics remain essential for understanding a player's impact in specific areas, such as scoring, passing, and rebounding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK − ((FGA − FGM) + (FTA − FTM) + TO) |
| Performance Index Rating | Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks + Fouls Drawn − (Missed Field Goals + Missed Free Throws + Turnovers + Shots Rejected + Fouls Committed) |
| Double Double | Player makes double digits in any two of PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK |
| Triple Double | Player makes double digits in any three of PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK |
| Quadruple Double | Player makes double digits in any four of PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK |
| 5x5 | Player records at least a 5 in each of the 5 statistics |
| Points per 100 Possessions | 100*(Matchup Player Points/Matchup Possessions) – Player’s Season Average Points per 100 Possessions |
| Player Efficiency Rating | Developed by ESPN basketball statistician John Hollinger |
| PIE | Measures a player's overall statistical contribution against the total statistics in games they play in |
| Rebound | Occurs when a player recovers the ball after a missed shot |
| Free Throw Assist | When a player passes the ball to a teammate who draws a shooting foul within one dribble of receiving the pass |
| MVP Tracker | Nikola Jokić 56.4%, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 34.1%, Giannis Antetokounmpo 4.2%, Jayson Tatum 1.9%, Karl-Anthony Towns 0.8% |
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What You'll Learn
Efficiency ratings
The PER formula adds positive stats and subtracts negative ones through a statistical point value system. Positive results include field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals. Negative results include missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls. The PER formula is as follows:
> ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) − ((Field Goals Attempted − Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Attempted − Free Throws Made) + Turnovers))
The rating for each player is then adjusted to a per-minute basis, allowing for comparisons between substitutes and starters. The league-average PER is always 15.00, which serves as a reference point for comparing player performance across seasons.
While PER is a useful tool, it has some limitations. It primarily measures offensive performance, and the defensive statistics it includes (blocks and steals) may not provide an accurate picture of a player's defensive abilities. Additionally, PER assumes that all shots are 2-pointers, which may distort the rating for players who take more 3-pointers.
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Double/triple/quadruple doubles
A double-double is achieved when a player reaches double digits in any two of the five statistical categories. Triple-doubles occur when a player reaches double digits in three categories, and quadruple-doubles are achieved when a player reaches double digits in four categories. These terms provide a convenient way to evaluate a player's performance and are widely used in basketball analysis and comparisons.
While double-doubles and triple-doubles occur regularly in the NBA, quadruple-doubles are extremely rare. As of 2022, only four players have officially recorded a quadruple-double in NBA history: Hakeem Olajuwon, Alvin Robertson, Nate Thurmond, and David Robinson. Olajuwon, a dominant center for the Houston Rockets, achieved his quadruple-double with 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks, and 10 assists. Robertson, a talented defender, recorded his quadruple-double with 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, and 10 steals. Thurmond, a versatile player, achieved his feat with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals. Robinson, the last player to record a quadruple-double, did so with a remarkable 71 points, along with 34 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals.
It is worth noting that there are other variations of these achievements, such as the 5x5 or five-by-five, where a player records at least a 5 in each of the 5 statistical categories. This showcases an even more impressive all-around performance. Additionally, there are composite efficiency statistics like the EFF and PIR ratings, which take into account various statistical categories and provide a single numerical score to evaluate a player's overall efficiency.
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Points per possession
To get the number of possessions, the formula POSSt = FGAt + 0.44 × FTAt – OREBt + TO is used. Here, FTAt refers to free throw attempts, and the 0.44 factor is used to accurately represent the amount of possession used during total free throw attempts. OREBt refers to offensive rebounds, which must be backed out to avoid over-counting possessions.
PPP can also be calculated simply as points/possessions. This is because the formula for total possessions is designed to accurately measure the total number of possessions, but it is not necessary to use it to calculate PPP.
Points per 100 possessions can also be used to evaluate a player or team's performance. This is calculated as the number of points allowed per 100 possessions by a team. For a player, it is the number of points per 100 possessions that the team allows while that individual player is on the court.
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Player Impact Estimate (PIE)
The formula for PIE is as follows:
> (PTS + FGM + FTM – FGA – FTA + Deff.REB + Off.REB/2 + AST + STL + BLK/2 – PF – TO) / (Game.PTS + Game.FGM + Game.FTM – Game.FGA – Game.FTA + Game.Deff.REB + Game.Off.REB/2 + Game.AST + Game.STL + Game.BLK/2 – Game.PF – Game.TO)
In this formula, PTS refers to points scored, FGM to field goals made, FTM to free throws made, and so on. By combining these various statistical categories, PIE provides a single numerical score that represents a player's overall impact on the game.
PIE is often compared to another metric called Player Efficiency Rating (PER). While PER is more widely used and was developed by ESPN basketball statistician John Hollinger, PIE has the advantage of being simpler to calculate and incorporating defensive stats.
PIE can be particularly useful for basketball bettors, as it can help predict which players will dominate games and which might struggle. By targeting players with high PIE ratings, bettors can make more informed decisions and potentially gain an edge over the bookmakers.
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Rebounds
When comparing stat lines, it's important to look beyond the total number of rebounds and consider the percentage of available rebounds (REB%) that a player or team collected. This provides a more accurate representation of their rebounding prowess. To calculate this, you can use the following formula: add up the number of missed shots that didn't go out of bounds or lead to a foul, then calculate the percentage of times an individual player gained possession of the ball as a result of those missed shots. For example, if there were 60 missed shots in a game and Player A had 12 rebounds from those shots, their rebounding statistic would be 12/60 x 100 = 20%.
You can also look at the percentage of rebounds gathered when given a rebound chance, which can be calculated separately for offensive and defensive rebounds. A player has a rebound chance if they are the closest player to the ball when it is fully rebounded, at any point after the ball has crossed below the rim.
Another important rebounding statistic to consider is the number of times a player made physical contact with an opponent who was pursuing a rebound and successfully prevented them from securing it. This statistic can give you an idea of a player's defensive skills and their ability to create rebound opportunities for their team.
Finally, rebounds are also a component of the Efficiency (EFF) rating, which is used by the NBA to evaluate a player's overall efficiency. This formula takes into account points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, as well as missed field goals, missed free throws, and turnovers.
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Frequently asked questions
Some online resources for comparing basketball statistics include Stathead.com, Basketball-Reference.com, and NBA.com.
Some basic basketball statistics include points (PTS), rebounds (REB), assists (AST), steals (STL), blocks (BLK), and free-throw attempts (FTA).
Some advanced basketball statistics include Player Efficiency Rating (EFF), Performance Index Rating (PIR), Player Impact Estimate (PIE), and defensive rebounding percentage.
A "LeBron" stat line in basketball refers to a player achieving 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
