Not Equal Factors
While these are the four essential factors that decide winning and losing in the NBA, the factors do not carry equal weight. Each statistic measures a separate skill — there’s no reason that a team can’t shoot well, commit few turnovers, rebound a high percentage of its misses and make frequent trips to the free throw line. At the same time, a team can compensate for poor performance in one area by outstanding performance in another — hitting the offensive boards on a poor shooting night, for example.
Beyond rankings and fan talk, these factors can be used to help identify a team’s strategic strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps they’re not as sexy as a killer crossover, but they’re far more likely to help a team win.
Kevin Broom is a Senior Writer at RealGM.com, a contributor at CourtsideTimes.net, and a member of the Association for Professional Basketball Research and is also a regular guest analyst on the Wizards Postgame show on WTEM SportsTalk 980. Last season, Kevin shed a new light on defensive statistics during the Wizards-Bulls series for SI.com. He can be reached at KevinBroom@RealGM.com
In future articles, Kevin will delve into rating individual players, plus/minus ratings, and the cutting edge efforts to evaluate individual defensive performance.