How to read basketball stats in newspaper

Reading the Box Score – Coach's Climb

“Wake up in the morning, take a shower, and have breakfast over the box scores. It’s the perfect way to start a day.”

Key Takeaways:

• Where was the game won?
• Estimated Pace of Play
• Numbers that Stand Out

My parents would grab the newspaper and I’d steal the sports section as soon as they’d set it down. Modern morning routines may have changed since Basketball on Paper was published, but box scores still serve a purpose for any coach during or after any game. During my childhood, the focal point while reading these box scores was to simply look at the overall scores and how my favorite players performed. As a coach, my priorities haven’t necessarily changed, but I’d like to think the process to do it has become a bit more thorough in evaluation.

“The first thing to understand about a game is whether it was won on the offensive end or defensive end and, for that, I always look at the pace of the game to get the team’s ratings. ”

Unfortunately at the high-school level in the state of Massachusetts traditional box scores are unavailable during or following any game. While as an assistant at the college level print-outs were available during media timeouts and half-time. On first observation my eyes tended to gravitate towards three statistics that I felt heavily influenced the outcome:

• Field-Goal Percentage

A team’s shooting percentage shifts either team’s style of play throughout the course of a game. If opponents are knocking down shots it forces you to go against set defenses often, thus relying upon efficient offense on a halfcourt. From a defensive perspective, it often applies more pressure to string stops together, subsequently leading to possibly more fouls or uncharacteristic decision-making. Which team is applying more pressure by making shots?

• Assist/Turnovers

Assists-to-turnover ratio can tell the story of possession by possession. Depending on the intended style of play for a team it can answer questions of ball movement, ball-control, and defensive pressure particularly on-the-ball or in the passing lanes.

• Free-Throws (Percentages & Attempts)

Free-throws are possible free points. And good defenses don’t give anything for free. Our coaching staff rule of thumb is to seek more free-throws made than our opponent’s attempts.

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From these statistics we can start to generate an idea of what swayed the scoreboard and on which side of the floor was most influential. To get a quick estimation of the pace of play, Dean Oliver references this formula:

Poss. = FGA – OR + TOV + 0.4 x FTA

A quick estimation for the number of possessions can give an interpretation into the pace of play, in addition to the offensive/defensive efficiency ratings. Some of the greatest coaches in history – Dean Smith and Frank McGuire – emphasized points per possession to compare previous performances with average efficiency. Unfortunately making comparisons to previous box scores doesn’t change the results. The ensuing tweet by Coach Chris Oliver looks into the numbers in the midst of the game to make any possible adjustments.

Coaches, @GregWhite32 and I were having a discussion about "in game stat charting" Help us. What do you want to know in a game?
During live action?
At quarters?
At half time? pic.twitter.com/tTnray5NwI

— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) May 12, 2020

Our program generally prioritizes four statistics to articulate to the team:

• Kills (3 defensive stops in a row)
• Offensive Rebounds (2nd chances)
• Assist/Turnovers
• +/- Paint Touches (Team vs. Opponent)

Three of the four are traditional box score numbers; paint touches are becoming more commonly kept by staff’s across the country. Despite the lack of accessibility of box scores, our staff does a great job recording these numbers throughout the course of any game to assess any trends that are taking place to make any adjustments we see fit.

The evaluation of these four statistics are intended to get a decent understanding of our defense and offense. There is quite a bit of overlap with 2nd chances, A/TOs, and paint touches. The kills are indicative of stringing stops together instead of exchanging baskets. Second chance opportunities are a huge aspect of any game and charting this statistic can help answer the question of finishing possessions defensively or creating extra scoring chances. Assist to turnover for the reasons we already discussed, but paint touches are all about pressure and conversion. It is one thing to puncture the paint increasing our probability of high percentage shots whether field goal attempts at the rim or getting good looks from inside-out field goal attempts. It is another thing to actually convert on those paint touches. So we gauge the number of paint touches per quarter with the efficiency of those paint touches to determine which team is more in attack mode and is finishing given the opportunities.

The box score is a great way to clearly communicate to the team performance without using coach-speak. Often times we want to go into a locker room or a huddle during a time-out to reference we aren’t playing hard enough or don’t want it as bad as they do as motivation. In some moments it can rally the troops, but there isn’t anything tangible that resonates with the players. Whatever the key statistics are in your program that identify with your style of play, those are the talking points to communicate for future adjustments.

• If you are a team that looks to get out in the passing lanes or apply a ton of ball-pressure, what are the numbers of deflections?
• Team that thrives on crashing the glass, what are the rebounding margins?

We want a team that strings stops together by finishing each possession with a rebound (limiting 2nd chances) and offensively share it, take care of it, and relentlessly look to attack for scoring opportunities.

 

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One coach's journey is others opportunity to learn. A resource simply to grow the game. View all posts by Coach's Climb

How to Read a Basketball Box Score

Basketball box scores are fairly straightforward. Statistics for each participating player are presented in an easy-to-digest format. The key to comprehending the box score is understanding each statistical category and knowing its abbreviation.

MIN (Minutes)

In a complete box score, the minutes-played column can be right next to each player's name or it can be the last column to the right. The minutes calculation is rounded out to 30 seconds either way. So if a player played 23:12, that is recorded as 23. If a player played 22:48, that is recorded as 23. A player who plays less than 30 seconds gets a 0 or 0+. Players who do not play typically get a "DNP" designation.

FGM-A (Field Goals Made and Attempted)

This includes all shots made and legitimately attempted from the floor, both two-point shots and three-point shots. A shot missed when a shooting foul occurs does not count as an attempt. Made shots include those awarded to the shooter because of defensive basket interference. Individual and team field goal percentages are derived from these totals.

3PA-M (Three-Point Shots Made and Attempted)

These numbers include three-point shots made and attempted, under the same guidelines as two-point shots. Individual and team three-point field goal percentages are derived from these totals. These makes and attempts are also included in the overall field goal made/attempts category. They are part of the overall field goal percentage.

FTM-A (Free Throws Made and Attempted)

These are all the shots made and attempted at the free throw line, either for personal fouls or technical fouls. Individual and team free throw percentages are derived from these totals.

OREB (Offensive Rebounds), DREB (Defensive Rebounds)

Players get a rebound for gaining control of a missed field goal or free throw attempt. Offensive rebounds are those gained while on offense. These can be clean rebounds or controlled tips at the basket. Defensive rebounds are gathered or controlled at the defensive end. Some box scores will include a separate column for offensive rebounds, but not for defensive rebounds. In that case, subtract the offensive rebounds from the total rebounds to get the number of defensive rebounds.

REB (Rebounds)

These are the total rebounds credited at both ends of the court. In some cases "team rebounds" may be awarded when no one individual controls the missed shot.

AST (Assists)

Players earn an assist for making a pass that leads directly to a teammate's made basket. Merely being the last teammate to possess the ball before the shooter scores does not qualify you for an assist.

STL (Steals)

Players get a steal for taking away an opponent's dribble or intercepting a pass to give their team possession of the basketball.

BLK or BS (Blocked Shots)

Players get a blocked shot for clearly rejecting or deflecting a legitimate field goal attempt. This counts as a block even if the defensive team does not recover the ball. NBA box scores include a stat for "BA" which stands for "block against" meaning how many of that player's shots were blocked.

TO (Turnover)

Players most commonly earn turnovers for losing the ball while dribbling, committing a ballhandling violation, throwing an errant pass or earning a charging foul while possessing the ball.

PF (Personal Fouls)

A personal foul is a physical foul committed on the court. On some levels, a technical foul -- usually assessed for unsportsmanlike conduct of some kind -- also counts as a personal foul for the offender. Technical fouls are usually delineated as a line item at the bottom of the box score. Flagrant fouls are severe personal fouls that draw extra punishment. These count as personal fouls, but are also registered as a line item under the box score.

+/- (Plus-Minus)

NBA box scores include individual plus-minus ratings, reflecting the game's point differential for each player's time on the court. If your team outscores your opponent by 12 while you are playing, you get a plus-12. If your team is outscored by seven while you play, you get a minus-7.

The "hot hand" really works: scientists have confirmed an old basketball belief

Some people believe that a basketball player during a match can catch the courage, and his hand becomes “hot”: he scores one ball after another in a row. Scientists have found that this is not the case - for most players. However, some basketball players really know how to enter a special state and score with a “hot hand” more than statistical models predict.

American scientists have shown that the phenomenon of "hot hand" in basketball really exists. An article about this was published in the PLOS One magazine.

For a long time, there was a belief among basketball players and fans that a player can turn on the "hot hand" mode, which allows him to make many successful shots in a row. Many coaches, commentators and researchers doubted that this was possible, and the series of successes was explained by mere chance: in the end, the coin can also fall several times in a row on one side. But the "hot hand" has become part of basketball culture, and in the computer game NBA Jam, a virtual ball lights up after several consecutive points scored by the same player. These discussions are renewed with each new impressive series, for example, in 2021 Stephen Curry from Golden State Warriors hit in 105 straight 3-point practice.

Konstantinos Pelecrinis of the University of Pittsburgh and his colleague set out to test this myth statistically to see if players can really become "hot". Many previous studies have focused on one type of shot—free throw, three-point shot, or special shot. However, in a real game, the rolls are rarely the same.

Therefore, the experts developed a statistical model that analyzes shots based on many factors: who shot, distance to the basket, type of shot, distance to the nearest defender, who was the nearest defender, whether the ball was received after the pass, and much more. Such an analysis became possible only thanks to the developed sports statistics in American basketball, scientists themselves would not have been able to watch such a number of matches.

This model can predict the success rate of any roll. If we compare the actual percentage of players hitting in a successful streak with the model's predictions for the same game situations, we can find out if there really is a "hot hand". For example, if in reality a player in the same situation will hit 55 percent of shots, although according to forecasts from the same situations he should score only 46 percent, then the phenomenon really exists.

Scientists analyzed the game of 153 basketball players who made at least 1000 shots in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. Throws after one, two, three and four hits in a row were considered. It turned out that if we consider all the players as a whole, then the chances of hitting the third throw after two hits are even 1.9percent lower than the model predicts - that is, the hand becomes not “hot”, but “cold”.

However, looking at the players individually, the picture changes and the hot hand phenomenon begins to show up in some people.

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The 30 players studied had statistically significant streaks in which the percentage of hits was significantly different from the predictions of the model. On average, these players saw their third throw increase by 2.71 percent, and by 4.42 and 5.8 percent on the fourth and fifth, respectively.

Researchers note that having a "hot hand" does not guarantee that a player will score from any position. For example, this phenomenon is often exhibited by players whose position does not involve long-range shots. Scientists have put forward a hypothesis that the “research and use” scheme can work in basketball, when the player first looks for the best ways and options for action, finds and applies them until he gets tired or the opponent adapts. For example, you can find a weak link in the defense - a less skilled defender - and attack in his zone.

“It is important to remember that the phenomenon we have discovered is not necessarily related to what fans call a “hot hand”. Maybe it's just about the ability of some players to look for opponents that are convenient for themselves and use them for their series of hits, ”the scientists write.

The authors of the paper do not expect that their paper will put an end to the discussions about the "hot hand", but they hope that their methodology will help new research on this problem. In addition, a closer analysis of the behavior of players on a successful series is likely to help coaches stimulate the ability to "hot hand" in their players.

Results of the club season in European basketball

The club season in European basketball dragged on for an obscenely long time - representatives of the top championships revealed the strongest in the domestic arena until the end of June. Gazeta.Ru talks about the most significant achievements in a concise digest.

Israel

In the Promised Land championship, they got so tired of the hegemony of Maccabi Tel Aviv that half a decade ago they changed the structure of the decisive matches. Instead of long streaks of up to three or four victories, objectively revealing the winner, medal disputes began to be held in the “final four” format.

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That is, the strongest clubs in the country lost the right to make a mistake and were subjected to additional psychological pressure. Whereas the fans rejoiced at a completely unpredictable spectacle: in the conditions of a single duel, everyone could beat everyone. That is why the line between favorites and outsiders in the battles for awards was completely erased.

Today, in general, it has come to the incredible: the main award of the league of winners was stolen by Maccabi from Rishon LeZion - a club that had never mined gold before in history. Moreover, on the way to the top, the modest ones, who took only sixth place in the regular season, first removed eminent teammates from Tel Aviv, and then dealt with the rich from Jerusalem's Hapoel. It is noteworthy that following the failures, one grandee, another fired the head coaches: Simone Pyanidzhani went to the capital, Erez Edelstein went to the cultural center of the country. Whereas the winners proved to be the most strong-willed squad of the playoffs.

They returned during the confrontation not only in the final four games, but also saved the quarter-final series (3-2) against Maccabi Haifa.

France

Lyon proved to be no less strong-willed squad, for the first time since 2009, they climbed to the top step of the French podium. Apparently, the strong-willed character of the team from the southwest of the country learned from the owner, four-time NBA champion Tony Parker. True, he could not personally witness the triumph of his subordinates, but on Twitter he congratulated the team on the 18th title in history immediately after the final siren. The leader of the national team really could not skimp on praise: his guys first dragged the most difficult semi-final against the victorious regular season Monaco, and then did the impossible in the decisive series. Yielding to Strasbourg 0-2, the Lyons scored three victories in a row, tearing the crown from the heads of competitors who were already resting on their laurels.

By the way, Strasbourg lost in the final for the fourth time in a row! And this, in turn, logically led to a series of large-scale changes in the structure of the team. So, the helmsman Vincent Collet was dismissed (at the same time steering the French national team with Tony Parker as the main playmaker), and several leading team players did not receive new contracts at once.

Spain

Pyrenean clasico - decoration of the basketball season in Spain.

And no matter how year after year the rivals try to prevent it from being staged at the beginning of the summer, everything is in vain. Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​who have the most impressive budgets in the example and, as a result, the most powerful squads, regularly converge to the barrier in the dispute for the title of the strongest. Today, the honorary title has departed "blancos" - the 33rd time in the club's history. Add here the King's Cup won in the winter, and you will understand why the mentor Pablo Laso was able to breathe a sigh of relief after the end of the final series (3-1). A failure in the Euroleague threatened him with resignation, but the coach redeemed himself with large-scale conquests.

But his colleague lost his job. Xavi Pascual, who worked in Catalonia for eight years, was not saved by the rich trophy harvest of the past, nor by the triumph in the 2015/16 regular season. Great accomplishments were demanded from the "Blaugrana", which had been in a state of perpetual restructuring in recent years. Whereas the helmsman's wards all the main battles of the season, both on the domestic and international arena, were leaked. The final straw, which overflowed the leadership's patience, was the final, limply given to competitors after a victorious starting duel.

This was not tolerated in Barcelona, ​​showing the door not only to Pascual, but also to the sports director of the club.

By the way, with Shavi's changer, there was also an incidental story, like the whole past season for the blue garnets. It was decided to fill the vacant position with the legend of Lithuanian basketball Sharunas Jasikevicius, who in the past defended the colors of Barça. However, the current coach of Zalgiris Kaunas has only six months of coaching experience.

Whereas in the example, only a specialist who has two years in office can steer. The Catalans had to bet on Sito Alonso, abandoning the idea of ​​signing an eminent specialist.

Greece

As predictable as in Spain, the composition of the final pair of the Greek championship was compensated by the incredible drama of each of the battles between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.

The maximum difference between the teams in four matches was only five points. While throws with a siren now and then put on the ears of the arena in Athens and Piraeus, as they turned the course of confrontations on its head. It should also be noted that the individual rivalry of cult national heroes, the defenders Vassilis Spanoulis and Dimitris Diamantidis, became an adornment of the principled battle.

The latter was ending his career, and therefore dreamed of leaving big basketball on a victorious note. To the disappointment of the legend of the "greens", his "Pao" did not finish the opponent, losing in the series 1-3. However, the Spider has nothing to reproach himself with: he actually worked miracles in an effort to bow beautifully in front of the audience. But his teammates were not so perfect.

So, on the eve of the final battle, the leader of the Athenians, Miroslav Radulica, was seen in a bar, where he had been rocking all night, because of which he returned to the hotel in the morning in a rather shabby condition.

The giant's assistance in Pao's game was just not enough, so the club management parted with the Serb without pity, as soon as the championship officially ended.

As for Spanouliss, in addition to gold, he received a new contract, valid until the summer of 2018.

Turkey

On the way to glory, Fenerbahçe Istanbul defeated, perhaps, all the principal fellow countrymen-opponents of the possible ones, along the way taking revenge on them for past grievances. So, in the semi-finals, the team of Zeljko Obradovic knocked out the winner of the Eurocup "Galatasaray", and in the main series of the year left the triumphant "regular season" TBL "Anadolu Efes" out of work. It is significant that both yellow-blue derbies were held from a position of strength, as if emphasizing that the fact that they remained only second in the Euroleague draw was nothing more than an accident.

They say that the golden double, decorated at home, is a real indicator of the strength of the people of Istanbul.

As for the misfire in the battle with CSKA on the continental expanses, this is a banal misunderstanding that the Turks will try to correct next season. The benefit of all the leading performers "Fener" plans to re-sign.

But "Efes" will have a large-scale restructuring. Having dismissed the legendary Duda Ivkovich from the post of commander-in-chief in the middle of the championship (by the way, he ended his career at the end of the season), the brewers thought for a long time who to call the kingdom next. As a result, Velimir Perasovich, who already ruled in Istanbul, was returned, but without much success. The second chance was given to the Balkans by the Vitorian Laboral, with which the helmsman sensationally made it to the Euroleague Final Four this year. Naturally, the new broom plans revenge in a new way, so the composition of the Istanbulites will change beyond recognition in the coming months.

Germany

The most beautiful basketball in Europe during the season, without a doubt, showed the German "Bamberg". Smart, attacking, fast and effective, the fans liked him, but he risked not bringing titles to the team. Because, as you know, defense wins trophies.

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However, coach Andrea Trinchieri, who returned to the usual surroundings of the Bundesliga, broke the patterns of skeptics, making rich wards.

On the way to Olympus, his "bears" broke the formidable "Bavaria" with the most experienced Svetislav Pesic, and in the final they smashed the strong and disciplined "Ulm" to smithereens. If we recall that in the Euroleague Bamberg also achieved a historic result for itself, almost jumping into the playoffs (and this is a team that has never won in the top 16 at all!), Then we can safely say that Trinchieri's progressive philosophy works not only effective, but also effective.