Isaac
Years ago
How valuable is +/- in basketball?
The +/- stat in basketball demonstrates the cumulative net score change while a player is on court during a game. Let's say Brett Maher subs in while the 36ers are down five points, and then is subbed out when they're up by three, he's +8 for that passage. Maybe he comes on for the last couple of minutes of the third with scores tied and the opposition hits a three. That's -3 which takes him to +5 regardless of whether it was his man that scored or it was a lucky shot.
hereschenes wrote in a recent NBA topic:
The +/- stat is meaningless for basketball, IMO. It makes more sense in ice hockey, where scoring is much less prevalent. I'm pretty sure it only appeared in NBA stat sheets a few seasons ago, didn't it?ELG responded that it likely makes more sense in basketball than ice hockey, and I agree.
NBL teams are able to get stats showing their best combinations on court for scoring and even other things like defense, outside shooting, forcing turnovers, etc. The NBA has some interesting +/- based stats available so fans can see the most effective combos down to pairings or trios.
It's obviously not flawlessly helpful, but does it have significant value as a broader indicator of contribution to a game when you're not always thrashing other teams or being thrashed yourselves? If your team outscores the other whenever you are on court, surely you tend to have a positive impact on the game?