Basketball stats glossary

A single shooting-efficiency number that combines 2-pointers, 3-pointers, and free throws. Unlike FG%, it gives 3PT shots their proper 50% bonus and accounts for how many free throws the player draws.

TS% = PTS / (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA))

FG% adjusted for the fact a 3-pointer is worth 50% more than a 2-pointer. Lighter than TS% (it ignores free throws) but more honest than raw FG%.

eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) / FGA

How often a player gets to the line relative to their field goal attempts. A proxy for foul-drawing skill, paint pressure, and physicality.

FTr = FTA / FGA

Share of field goal attempts taken from beyond the arc. Tells you the shot diet — a guard at 0.65 lives behind the line, a center at 0.05 stays inside.

3PAr = 3PA / FGA

Breaks field goals into three location buckets : at the rim (≤ 4 ft), mid-range (4 ft to the 3-point line), and 3-pointers. Each bucket reports accuracy (FG%) and frequency (share of total FGA), so you see both where a player shoots and how well they finish it.

Points scored per 100 possessions. Pace-neutral, so a slow team can still have an elite ORtg. Team-level ORtg above 115 is excellent in the modern WNBA / NCAA W contexts.

ORtg = 100 × PTS / Possessions

Points allowed per 100 possessions. Same logic as ORtg, lower is better. Combined with ORtg, gives the cleanest snapshot of a team's two-way quality.

DRtg = 100 × PTS allowed / Possessions

Simply ORtg − DRtg. A positive number means the team scores more than it allows per 100 possessions. The single best one-number team summary.

Net Rtg = ORtg − DRtg

Same idea as ORtg, but expressed per single possession (so ORtg / 100). Often used in lineup and play-type contexts because individual possessions are the natural unit there.

Estimated possessions a team plays per 40 / 48 minutes. High pace = lots of possessions, fast tempo. Pace doesn't make a team better — it just inflates the box score. ORtg / DRtg strip pace out.

Dean Oliver's four levers of winning : shooting (eFG%), turnovers (TOV%), offensive rebounding (ORB%), and getting to the line (FT/FGA). Each side of the ball has the same four — Metrics shows both for every team.

Share of team possessions a player "uses" by shooting, getting fouled, or turning the ball over while on the floor. League average is 20% (five players → 100%). Stars sit around 28–32%, role players 12–15%.

Estimated share of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor. Better than raw AST/G because it adjusts for pace and minutes.

Turnovers per 100 plays (shooting plus FT trips plus turnovers). A high-usage guard at 12% is excellent; over 18% is a problem.

TOV% = 100 × TOV / (FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV)

Share of available offensive rebounds a player grabs while on the floor. More signal than raw ORB/G because it controls for minutes and missed shots.

Share of available defensive rebounds grabbed. Closing out possessions on the glass is one of the four winning factors (Four Factors).

Combined ORB% + DRB%, weighted by opportunities. A clean one-number rebounding rate.

Share of opponent possessions ended by the player's steal. Pace-neutral equivalent of STL/G.

Share of opponent 2-point attempts blocked while on the floor. The cleanest individual rim-protection signal in the box score.

A lineup's offensive PPP minus defensive PPP. Positive = the 5-player combination outscores the opponent per possession when together. Sample size matters — Metrics shows minutes played alongside the rate.

Team's Net Rtg when player X is on the court minus Net Rtg when off. Strong positive signal that the player elevates the team — though it conflates lineup quality with the player themselves.

Point differential while the player is on the floor. Noisy at small samples but useful as a context check on box-score stats.

One offensive trip ending with a made shot, defensive rebound, or turnover. Offensive rebounds extend the same possession. Estimated possessions = FGA + 0.44 × FTA − ORB + TOV.

Points per possession on a specific play type (transition, pick-and-roll ball-handler, post-up, spot-up, etc.). Surfaces which actions a player or team actually wins on.

Expected eFG% on a shot given location, defender distance, shot clock, and shooter movement. Tells you whether a shot was open or contested — not just whether it went in.