Many basketball fans and players alike are familiar with the +/- stat, but few understand how it is calculated. The +/- stat is an important tool for coaches and analysts to measure a player’s overall impact on their team during a game. It is also a great way for players to track their individual performance. In this article, we will look at how the +/- stat is calculated and what it can tell us about a player’s performance.
What is the +/- Stat?
The +/- stat (or “plus/minus”) is a statistic used in basketball to measure a player’s impact on the team’s performance. It is typically used to compare a player’s performance when they are on the court to when they are off the court.
The +/- stat is calculated by subtracting the team’s score when the player is off the court from the team’s score when the player is on the court. This number is then divided by the total number of minutes the player was on the court.
Example of How the +/- Stat is Calculated
Let’s look at an example to gain a better understanding of how the +/- stat is calculated. Suppose a team is playing against another team and Player A is on the court for 10 minutes. During those 10 minutes, the team scores 30 points. When Player A is off the court, the team scores 20 points. This means that Player A’s +/- stat for the game would be (30-20)/10 = +1.
What Does the +/- Stat Tell Us?
The +/- stat can tell us a lot about a player’s performance. A high +/- stat indicates that the player had a positive impact on the team’s performance in the game. This could mean that they had a great shooting performance, made good defensive plays, or simply had a good feel for the game.
On the other hand, a low +/- stat indicates that the player had a negative impact on the team’s performance. This could mean that they were not shooting well, making bad decisions, or were simply having an off-night.
Limitations of the +/- Stat
It is important to note that the +/- stat is not a perfect measure of a player’s performance. There are many factors that can affect a player’s +/- stat that are out of their control. For example, a player’s +/- stat could be negatively affected by a teammate’s poor performance.
Furthermore, the +/- stat does not account for a player’s ability to make plays that do not show up in the box score. A player could have a strong impact on the game without scoring any points or making any assists, but their +/- stat would not reflect this.
Conclusion
The +/- stat is a useful tool for measuring a player’s overall impact on their team’s performance. It can provide insight into a player’s performance, especially when used in conjunction with other statistics. However, it is important to keep in mind that the +/- stat has its limitations and should not be used as the sole measure of a player’s performance.