Basketball statistics
Encyclopedia
Statistics in basketball
are kept to evaluate a player or a team's performance.
Some statistics are
Averages per game are denoted by *PG (PPG, RPG, APG, SPG etc.). Sometime the players statistics are divided by minutes played and multiplied by 48 minutes (had he played the entire game), denoted by * per 48 min..
A player who makes double digits in a game in any two of the PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK statistics is said to make a double double; in three statistics, a triple double; in four statistics, a quadruple double. A quadruple double is extremely rare (and has only occurred four times in the NBA). There is also a 5x5, when a player records at least a 5 in each of the 5 statistics.
The NBA also posts to the statistics section of its Web site a simple composite efficiency
statistic, denoted EFF and derived by the formula, ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)). While conveniently distilling most of a players key statistics in one numerical score, the formula is not highly regarded by the statistics community, with the alternative Player Efficiency Rating
developed by ESPN basketball statistician John Hollinger
being more widely used to compare the overall efficiency of players.
Lovers of basketball statistics often enjoy comparing dozens of more arcane statistics, many of which show how well a player works within the team context. Continually updated databases hosted by Web sites can generate sortable charts and graphs in an interactive fashion. A few clicks can show, for example, who among shooting guards gets blocked the most per shot attempt, or who leads a particular team in any given category.
In fantasy basketball
, statistics are used in a formula as the measurement of a player's performance.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
are kept to evaluate a player or a team's performance.
Some statistics are
- GP, GS: games played, games startedStarting lineupA starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
- PTS: pointsPoint (basketball)Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
- FGM, FGA, FG%: field goalField goal (basketball)In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
s made, attempted and percentageField goal percentageField goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes... - FTM, FTA, FT%: free throwFree throwIn basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s made, attempted and percentage - 3FGM, 3FGA, 3FG%: three-point field goalThree-point field goalA three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
s made, attempted and percentage - REB, OREB, DREB: reboundsRebound (basketball)A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds - AST: assistsAssist (basketball)In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
- STL: stealsSteal (basketball)In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
- BLK: blocksBlock (basketball)In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
- TO: turnoversTurnover (basketball)In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of the opposing team by losing the ball. This can result from the ball being stolen, the player making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, or committing a violation or committing...
- EFF: efficiencyEfficiency (basketball)In basketball, the most commonly used statistical benchmark for comparing the overall value of players is called efficiency. It is a composite basketball statistic that is derived from all the other basic individual statistics: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and shot attempts...
: NBA's efficiency rating (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK - FG missed - FT missed - TO) - PF: personal fouls
- MIN: minutes
- AST/TO: assist to turnover ratio
- PER: Player Efficiency RatingPlayer Efficiency RatingThe Player Efficiency Rating is ESPN Insider writer John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates every player's statistical performance.-Introduction:PER...
: John HollingerJohn HollingerJohn Hollinger is an analyst and writer for ESPN. He primarily covers the NBA. Hollinger grew up in Mahwah, New Jersey and is a 1993 graduate of the University of Virginia....
's Player Efficiency Rating
Averages per game are denoted by *PG (PPG, RPG, APG, SPG etc.). Sometime the players statistics are divided by minutes played and multiplied by 48 minutes (had he played the entire game), denoted by * per 48 min..
A player who makes double digits in a game in any two of the PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK statistics is said to make a double double; in three statistics, a triple double; in four statistics, a quadruple double. A quadruple double is extremely rare (and has only occurred four times in the NBA). There is also a 5x5, when a player records at least a 5 in each of the 5 statistics.
The NBA also posts to the statistics section of its Web site a simple composite efficiency
Efficiency (basketball)
In basketball, the most commonly used statistical benchmark for comparing the overall value of players is called efficiency. It is a composite basketball statistic that is derived from all the other basic individual statistics: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and shot attempts...
statistic, denoted EFF and derived by the formula, ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)). While conveniently distilling most of a players key statistics in one numerical score, the formula is not highly regarded by the statistics community, with the alternative Player Efficiency Rating
Player Efficiency Rating
The Player Efficiency Rating is ESPN Insider writer John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates every player's statistical performance.-Introduction:PER...
developed by ESPN basketball statistician John Hollinger
John Hollinger
John Hollinger is an analyst and writer for ESPN. He primarily covers the NBA. Hollinger grew up in Mahwah, New Jersey and is a 1993 graduate of the University of Virginia....
being more widely used to compare the overall efficiency of players.
Lovers of basketball statistics often enjoy comparing dozens of more arcane statistics, many of which show how well a player works within the team context. Continually updated databases hosted by Web sites can generate sortable charts and graphs in an interactive fashion. A few clicks can show, for example, who among shooting guards gets blocked the most per shot attempt, or who leads a particular team in any given category.
In fantasy basketball
Fantasy basketball
Fantasy basketball was inspired by fantasy baseball. Originally played by keeping track of stats by hand, it was popularized during the 1990s after the advent of the Internet. Those who play this game are sometimes referred to as General Managers , who draft actual NBA players and compute their...
, statistics are used in a formula as the measurement of a player's performance.