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Basketball glossary

Common NBA stats and abbreviations explained - PER, PPG, APG, eFG%, TS%, Win Shares and the rest.

20 terms
PER · Player Efficiency Rating
A per-minute rating developed by John Hollinger that summarizes a player's statistical accomplishments. League average is 15.0.
TS% · True Shooting Percentage
A measure of shooting efficiency that accounts for field goals, 3-pointers, and free throws.
WS · Win Shares
An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player.
BPM · Box Plus/Minus
A box score-based estimate of points a player contributes above league average per 100 possessions.
VORP · Value Over Replacement Player
BPM translated to a value over a replacement-level player.
PPG · Points Per Game
Average points scored per game.
RPG · Rebounds Per Game
Average rebounds per game.
APG · Assists Per Game
Average assists per game.
FG% · Field Goal Percentage
Field goals made divided by field goals attempted.
3P% · Three-Point Percentage
3-point field goals made divided by attempted.
FT% · Free Throw Percentage
Free throws made divided by attempted.
eFG% · Effective Field Goal Percentage
Adjusts FG% to account for 3-pointers being worth more.
MVP · Most Valuable Player
Award given to the best player in the regular season.
DPOY · Defensive Player of the Year
Award given to the best defender.
ROY · Rookie of the Year
Award given to the best first-year player.
MIP · Most Improved Player
Award given to the player who improved most year-over-year.
SMOY · Sixth Man of the Year
Award given to the best non-starter (bench player).
OT · Overtime
Extra period when score is tied after 4th quarter.
DD · Double-Double
Game with double-digits in two statistical categories.
TD · Triple-Double
Game with double-digits in three statistical categories.