The Four Factors: The Stats That Actually Decide Basketball Games
Shoot well, don't turn it over, hit the offensive glass, get to the line. Dean Oliver's Four Factors compress winning into four numbers.
7 min read
Category
Stat Explainers
Plain-English breakdowns of the box-score and advanced metrics that actually matter — what each stat measures, the formula behind it, and where it misleads you.
Box Plus/Minus, EPM, and All-in-One Metrics: A Practical Guide
One number to rank every player? Here's what BPM, EPM, and PIE actually measure, where they agree, and where they very much don't.
8 min read
Offensive and Defensive Rating: How Per-100-Possession Stats Work
Pace warps raw points. Per-100-possession ratings level the floor so you can compare a fast team and a slow one on equal terms.
7 min read
Usage Rate Explained: Measuring How Much a Player Drives the Offense
Usage rate estimates the share of team possessions a player finishes. Here's how it's calculated and why high usage isn't automatically good.
6 min read
Effective Field Goal % vs. True Shooting %: What's the Difference?
Two efficiency stats, one subtle but important distinction. When eFG% and TS% diverge, the gap tells you exactly how a player scores.
6 min read
True Shooting Percentage Explained: Why It Beats Field Goal Percentage
Field goal percentage treats a layup and a three the same and ignores free throws. True Shooting fixes all three — here's the formula and what it reveals.
7 min read