3 NBA Stats Announcers Love and Why They Are Wrong

Sports fans have become increasingly tech and stats savvy with fantasy sports paving the way. Not only do we know that the Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors yesterday 95-89, but we also know that LeBron James led the way with 30 points on 10 for 17 shooting. The more fanatical among us know that James' latest effort has raised his average points per game to 29.2, second behind Kobe Bryant's 29.4 PPG.

Though sports statistics are a great way to analyze a player's contribution, they often mislead. I will break down a few of the biggest culprits using data easily found on www.hoopdata.com and www.basketball-reference.com

Player's Points Per Game

Most fans are familiar with PPG, or points per game. Household names like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James top the list. PPG is misleading because it does not take into account a player's efficiency. A player can reach a very high PPG by simply being a volume shooter.

Carmelo Anthony currently averages 23.3 PPG, 6th in the NBA. His true shooting percentage of 50.6% is, however, below the league average of 52.4%. Carmelo may score a lot of points but he does so because he attempts many shots, sometimes to the detriment of his team.

Steals Per Game

Steals are an exciting event in the NBA. Steals by an opposing guard often lead to ferocious dunks on the other end. They can also give the illusion of a good defensive player. In actuality, steals may indicate a weak defensive player, one who relies on gambling rather than fundamental, physical defense. 

Monta Ellis is 10^th in the league in steals averaging 1.8 per game. Last season he averaged 2.1 steals per game, good for third. In the 2009-2010 season, he placed second with an average of 2.23. While his steals per game have been incredible over the last three seasons, his defense has not. His defensive rating, a statistic meant to gauge how many points a player gives up per 100 possessions, exceeds 110 over the same time frame.

Team Points Per Game Allowed

Many sports announcers use a team’s Points Per Game Allowed metric to determine the defensive strength of a team. Per Game statistics ignore an important component: pace. A team may prevent a lot of points from being scored by virtue of playing slowly, lowering the number of possessions in a game. 

Detroit allows an average of 100.6 points per game, 15^th in the league. When normalized for pace, they are second worst, allowing 109 per 100 possessions. Using points per game allowed, Detroit is a perfectly average team. Advanced statistics paint a clearer picture.

Advanced Statistics

As fans continue to increase their sporting statistical and analytical skills, advanced statistics will prove invaluable. They can be used to support or dispel preconceptions we have when simply watching games.

Still, we must be aware that statistics do have limitations. A player like Carmelo may have a low true shooting percentage because he is the team's bail out option, taking difficult shots at the end of the shot-clock when offensive sets fall apart. Advanced statistics, along with a keen and observant eye, can hopefully dispel misleading statistics.