Basketball Stats Explained: TS%, eFG%, Game Score, Usage and the Four Factors
What every basketball stat on an NBL box score means, from rebounds and plus/minus to advanced numbers like true shooting, effective field goal percentage, usage rate, offensive rating and the four factors.
Updated
Box scores are full of abbreviations. This glossary explains every stat you will see on this site, from the basics to the advanced numbers, and shows exactly how the advanced ones are calculated. Each game's box score can switch between traditional and advanced views, and every stat has its own leaderboard on the NBL stats page.
The basic box score
| Stat | Meaning |
|---|---|
MIN | Minutes played (out of 40 in regulation). |
PTS | Points scored. |
FGM-FGA | Field goals made and attempted: every shot except free throws, twos and threes combined. |
3PM-3PA | Three-pointers made and attempted. |
FTM-FTA | Free throws made and attempted. |
OREB / DREB / REB | Offensive, defensive and total rebounds. |
AST | Assists: passes that lead directly to a made basket. |
STL / BLK | Steals and blocked shots. |
TO | Turnovers: possessions lost without a shot. |
PF | Personal fouls. Five and a player is out of the game in the NBL. |
+/- | Plus/minus: the scoring margin while the player was on court. |
Shooting efficiency
Field goal percentage (FG%)
Made field goals divided by attempts. It is simple, but it treats a three and a two as equal, which undersells good three-point shooters.
Effective field goal percentage (eFG%)
eFG% adjusts for the extra point a three is worth: (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) ÷ FGA. A player who goes 2-for-4, all from three, has a 50% FG% but a 75% eFG%, the same value as going 3-for-4 on twos. See the eFG% leaders.
True shooting percentage (TS%)
True shooting adds free throws, so it measures scoring efficiency as a whole: PTS ÷ (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA)). The 0.44 estimates how many possessions free throws use (and-ones and three-shot fouls mean it is not a clean 0.5). Around 55–60% is good; above 60% is excellent. See the true shooting leaders.
All-in-one numbers
Game Score (GmSc)
John Hollinger's Game Score rolls a whole box-score line into one number, on roughly the same scale as points:
PTS + 0.4×FGM − 0.7×FGA − 0.4×(FTA − FTM) + 0.7×OREB + 0.3×DREB + STL + 0.7×AST + 0.7×BLK − 0.4×PF − TO
10 is an average game, 20 is very good, and 30+ is a standout night. This site uses Game Score to pick each game's player of the game and the round's standout performances. See the Game Score leaders.
Efficiency (EFF)
The simpler box-score efficiency rating: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, minus missed shots, missed free throws and turnovers.
Usage rate (USG%)
The share of a team's possessions a player finishes with a shot, free throws or a turnover while on court. 20% is an average share for five players; primary scorers are often 28% or more. High usage with high true shooting is the mark of a genuine star.
Team ratings and pace
Because teams play at different speeds, points per game can mislead. Advanced team stats work per possession instead. A possession is estimated as FGA − OREB + TO + 0.44 × FTA.
- Pace: possessions per 40 minutes. Higher means a faster game.
- Offensive rating (ORTG): points scored per 100 possessions.
- Defensive rating (DRTG): points allowed per 100 possessions. Lower is better.
- Net rating (NET): offensive minus defensive rating, the best single measure of how good a team has been.
Every NBL club's ratings and league ranks are on the team stats page.
The four factors
Dean Oliver identified four things that decide most basketball games. For both offence and defence:
- Shooting: effective field goal percentage.
- Turnovers: turnover rate, turnovers per possession.
- Rebounding: offensive rebound percentage, the share of available offensive rebounds a team collects.
- Free throws: free throw rate, free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Shooting matters most, then turnovers, rebounding and free throws. Every game page compares both teams on the four factors, and every team page compares a club with the league average.
Shot charts and zones
Shot charts plot every field goal attempt on a FIBA half court. The zone view groups shots into areas (at the rim, the paint, mid-range, corner threes and above-the-break threes) and colours each by how the player or team shoots compared with the league average there.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good true shooting percentage in basketball?
Around 55–60% true shooting is good, and above 60% is excellent. League average usually sits in the mid-50s.
What is the difference between eFG% and TS%?
Effective field goal percentage adjusts field goal percentage for the extra value of three-pointers. True shooting percentage goes further and includes free throws, so it measures overall scoring efficiency.
What is Game Score in basketball?
Game Score is John Hollinger's formula that summarises a player's box score in one number on roughly the same scale as points. About 10 is an average game and 30 or more is outstanding.
What does offensive rating mean?
Offensive rating is the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions. It removes the effect of pace so fast and slow teams can be compared fairly.