Basketball Analytics Glossary
The complete basketball stats glossary - every abbreviation, advanced metric, and proprietary formula explained. Our analytics methodology was developed by championship-winning coaches with decades of professional basketball experience.
Proprietary Metrics
Four advanced metrics that go beyond basic box scores to reveal the complete picture of a player's impact.
VAL
Valuation
Total player impact accounting for positive and negative plays. VAL captures a player's complete box-score contribution in a single number, rewarding productive plays and penalizing costly mistakes.
Formula
(PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK + Drawn Fouls) - (TO + Missed FG + Missed FT)
Scale
Per-game average. Higher = better overall contribution.
OER
Offensive Efficiency Rating
How efficiently a player converts offensive opportunities into points. OER accounts for all possessions used, including free throw attempts (weighted at 0.45 to reflect partial possession usage) and turnovers.
Formula
Points / (FGA + FTA x 0.45 + TO)
Scale
0 to ~2.0. Higher = more efficient scorer.
VIR
Versatility Index Rating
All-around contribution normalized to playing time. VIR uses carefully tuned weights for each statistical category to reward players who contribute across multiple dimensions of the game, not just scoring.
Formula
(PTS + AST x 1.5 + STL + BLK x 0.75 + OREB x 1.25 + DREB x 0.75 + 3PM x 0.5 + FR x 0.5 - FM x 0.5 - missedFG x 0.75 - TO - missedFT x 0.5) / Minutes
Scale
Per-minute. Higher = more versatile.
S-VALUE
Shooting Value
Overall shooting proficiency across all shot types. S-VALUE combines free throw, field goal, and three-point percentages into a single composite score, providing a quick snapshot of a player's shooting ability.
Formula
FT% x 100 + FG% x 100 + 3P% x 100
Scale
0 to 300.
Skill Suite
Six contextual metrics that rank players against their peers within the same league and season using percentile-based scoring.
S4R
Scouting4U Rating
Contextual player rating showing how a player performs relative to their league. Based on the player's VAL (Valuation) percentile rank, S4R automatically calibrates to the competition level.
Formula
VAL percentile within league, mapped to 0-100
Scale
0 to 100. Gold (85+), Silver (70-85), Bronze (55-70).
SCP
Scoring Prowess
Scoring ability balancing volume and efficiency. SCP rewards players who score often AND efficiently, using effective field goal percentage to account for the extra value of three-pointers.
Formula
Percentile of: PTS/game (50%) + eFG% (50%)
Scale
0 to 100. Elite (80+), Great (60-80).
TPE
3-Point Efficiency
Three-point shooting lethality combining accuracy with volume. Uses makes per game (not attempts) so high-volume bricklayers don't get rewarded - only lethal shooters who hit AND shoot often.
Formula
Percentile of: 3P% (60%) + 3PM/game (40%)
Scale
0 to 100. Elite (80+), Great (60-80).
PMS
Playmaking Score
Passing, decision-making, and active hands. PMS rewards players who create for others while minimizing turnovers, with steals as a proxy for court awareness.
Formula
Percentile of: AST/game (40%) + AST/TO ratio (30%) + STL/game (30%)
Scale
0 to 100. Elite (80+), Great (60-80).
RPS
Rim Presence Score
Inside impact measuring rim protection, offensive rebounding, and finishing. RPS identifies players who dominate the paint on both ends of the floor.
Formula
Percentile of: (OREB + BLK)/game (60%) + 2P% (40%)
Scale
0 to 100. Elite (80+), Great (60-80).
DIS
Defensive Impact Score
Possession-winning defensive actions minus foul penalties. DIS captures a player's defensive box-score impact while penalizing overly aggressive defenders who commit too many fouls.
Formula
Percentile of: (STL + BLK + DREB)/game (75%) - fouls/game (25%)
Scale
0 to 100. Elite (80+), Great (60-80).
Standard Statistics
All the standard basketball statistics tracked across every game in our database.
| Abbreviation | Statistic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | Points | Total points scored |
| REB (TR) | Total Rebounds | Offensive + defensive rebounds |
| AST | Assists | Passes leading directly to a made basket |
| STL | Steals | Turnovers forced by taking the ball from the opponent |
| BLK | Blocks | Opponent shots deflected |
| TO | Turnovers | Possessions lost to the opposing team |
| FGM / FGA | Field Goals Made / Attempted | All made and attempted shots from the field |
| FG% | Field Goal Percentage | FGM divided by FGA |
| 2PM / 2PA | Two-Pointers Made / Attempted | Made and attempted two-point field goals |
| 2P% | Two-Point Percentage | 2PM divided by 2PA |
| 3PM / 3PA | Three-Pointers Made / Attempted | Made and attempted three-point field goals |
| 3P% | Three-Point Percentage | 3PM divided by 3PA |
| FTM / FTA | Free Throws Made / Attempted | Made and attempted free throws |
| FT% | Free Throw Percentage | FTM divided by FTA |
| OREB | Offensive Rebounds | Rebounds on the offensive end |
| DREB | Defensive Rebounds | Rebounds on the defensive end |
| PF (FM) | Fouls Made | Personal fouls committed |
| FD (FR) | Fouls Received | Fouls drawn from the opponent |
Team Analytics
Every metric below is computed twice for each team: once for its own offense, and once for what opponents do against its defense. A team's "Defense eFG%" is the effective field goal percentage its opponents shoot - lower is better, since it means the defense limits efficient shooting. League rank badges (e.g. "12/20") show where a team stands among every team in that league and season.
| Abbreviation | Statistic | Formula | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPP | Points Per Possession | Points / Possessions | Points scored per possession, shown as a decimal (e.g. 1.07). Off PPP is a team's own points per possession; Def PPP is points allowed per possession on defense - lower is better. |
| Net | Net Rating | (Off PPP - Def PPP) x 100 | Point differential per 100 possessions, using the underlying offense/defense ratings rather than the rounded PPP decimals above - e.g. +13.8 means a team outscores opponents by 13.8 points per 100 possessions. Standard basketball convention shows Net Rating on this x100 scale even though raw PPP is usually shown as a decimal. |
| POSS | Possessions | FGA + 0.45 x FTA + TO | Estimated number of offensive possessions in a game or season, used as the denominator for every per-possession rate below. |
| eFG% | Effective Field Goal % | (FGM + 0.5 x 3PM) / FGA x 100 | Field goal percentage adjusted for the extra value of a made three-pointer, so 2-point and 3-point shooting can be compared on one scale. |
| TOV% | Turnover Rate | TO / Possessions x 100 | Turnovers as a share of total possessions used. Lower is better on offense; higher is better on defense (more turnovers forced). |
| OREB% | Offensive Rebound % | OREB / (OREB + Opponent DREB) x 100 | Share of available offensive rebounds a team grabs. On defense, this measures the offensive rebound share a team allows to opponents. |
| FTR | Free Throw Rate | FTA / FGA x 100 | How often a team gets to the free throw line relative to its field goal attempts - a measure of drawing fouls, not shooting accuracy. |
Frequently Asked Questions
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