The NBA’s plus/minus statistic, often referred to as simply “plus/minus” or “+/-”, is a statistic used in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to measure a player’s impact on the game. The statistic calculates the difference between a team’s total score when that player is on the court versus when they are off the court. The plus/minus statistic has become a popular tool for coaches, broadcasters, and analysts to analyze and evaluate a player’s performance.
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What Does Plus/Minus Measure?
Overall, the plus/minus statistic measures the net point differential while a certain player is on the court. It is an attempt to determine how effective a certain player is in comparison to the team’s performance when that player is not on the court. For example, if a player has a plus/minus of +10, then their team scored 10 more points than their opponents when that player was on the court. Conversely, if a player has a plus/minus of -10, then their team scored 10 fewer points than their opponents when that player was on the court.
Calculating Plus/Minus
The calculation of plus/minus is relatively simple. It is calculated by subtracting the total score of the opposing team from the total score of the player’s team while that player was on the court. The statistic includes both the points scored by the player and the points scored by the player’s teammates. It does not include points scored by the opposing team.
For example, if Player A is on the court for a game and their team scores 100 points, and the opposing team scores 90 points, then Player A’s plus/minus would be +10. This means that Player A’s team outscored the opposing team by 10 points while Player A was on the court.
Limitations of Plus/Minus
While the plus/minus statistic is a useful tool to assess a player’s impact on the game, it is important to note that the statistic has some limitations.
The first limitation is that the statistic does not take into account the quality of the opposing team or the quality of the player’s teammates. For example, if a player has a plus/minus of +10, but their team was playing a significantly weaker opponent, then the statistic does not take that into account.
The second limitation of the plus/minus statistic is that it does not take into account the role of the player on the court. For example, a player’s plus/minus could be significantly better if they are playing a role in which they are expected to score more points (such as a point guard or shooting guard) than if they are playing a role in which they are not expected to score as much (such as a center).
The final limitation of the plus/minus statistic is that it does not take into account any events that may have occurred outside of the player’s control. For example, if a player has a plus/minus of -10, but their team had to play the entire game without their star player, then the statistic does not take that into account.
Interpreting Plus/Minus
When interpreting the plus/minus statistic, it is important to keep in mind the limitations discussed above. Additionally, it is important to consider the context of the game in which the statistic was calculated.
Overall, the plus/minus statistic can be a useful tool to get a general sense of a player’s performance, but it should not be used as the sole basis for determining a player’s impact on the game. The statistic should be used in conjunction with other metrics, such as offensive and defensive ratings, as well as visual observations, to get a more comprehensive understanding of a player’s performance.