You have been there. Parked on the couch. Eyes glued to the screen. Your favorite basketball teams battle it out. The ball flies around. Someone dunks. Someone drains a deep three. It is electric. Then announcers drop lines. “He has 22, 9, and 7 with a PER through the roof.” You nod. You think, “Yes, that makes sense.” But does it?
Let’s be honest. Half the time those stats sound like stock tickers. You do not understand them. Are they just hype for players? Or do numbers have meaning?
That is a fair question. You do not need a PhD in sports analytics to understand them. Let’s walk through the important stuff. We will do this without math headaches.
First Up: Play to Get Stats
Players must be on the court to get numbers. That is shocking, right?
GP (Games Played): This shows how many games a player played.
GS (Games Started): Did a player start or come off the bench? A player with 50 GP and 0 GS comes in as a sub. That is not bad. Some bench players change games.
It is like showing up to work. Some people run the meeting. Others step in when things get serious. Both can matter.
Points: The Obvious One
PTS (Points): This is no mystery. Score a basket. Get points. Two if you are inside the arc. Three if you are behind it. One if you are at the free-throw line.
A player who gets 25 points has a solid outing. But context matters. Did they shoot 30 times? Or did they score quietly on 12 efficient attempts? There is a difference.
Wilt Chambarlain after scoring 100 points in one game.
Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in one game. That is not a typo. It happened. The footage is grainy. But the record books are clear.
Field Goals: Shooting the Shot
Here, stats start to branch out.
FGM (Field Goals Made): These are shots that went in.
FGA (Field Goals Attempted): This is every shot a player tried.
FG% (Field Goal Percentage): This shows efficiency. If you make 50% of your shots, that is solid. Anything higher means you are scoring well.
What kind of shots are players taking? Easy layups? Mid-range jumpers? Three-pointers off-balance? FG% does not tell the whole story. But it gives a good idea.
Three-Pointers: Where the Game Shifted
Today, if you cannot shoot the three, you are limited. This is true unless you are a defensive monster.
3FGM, 3FGA, and 3FG% track three-point makes, attempts, and percentage.
Stephen Curry is a record holder in 3 points scored in the NBA
A 40% three-point shooter is serious. They make 4 of every 10 shots from far out. Defenses must guard them from far away. This opens up other scoring chances. Steph Curry changed the game this way. He shoots from very far away. This changes how defenders think.
Free Throws: Free…ish
You would think free throws are automatic. They are not. Some players are very reliable under pressure. Others are not.
FTM (Made), FTA (Attempted), and FT% (Percentage) show how dependable a player is at the line.
If you shoot 90%, you are money. At 50%, you might get benched in crunch time. This happens especially if the other team fouls you on purpose. That is how “Hack-a-Shaq” started.
Rebounds: Cleaning the Glass
Every missed shot is available. Rebounds show who wants the ball more. They also show who is in the right place.
OREB (Offensive): You grab your team’s missed shot. You keep the play alive.
DREB (Defensive): You end the other team’s possession.
Together, these make up REB (Total Rebounds). Some players find the ball easily. Others are seven feet tall and barely jump. And Wilt Chamberlain got 55 rebounds in one game. That is almost unbelievable.
Assists: Sharing the Spotlight
An AST (Assist) means a pass directly leads to a score. This is simple, but important.
“Directly” is the key word. A pass to a player who dribbles for 10 seconds and then scores does not count. Assists are acts of unselfishness. A player who gets 10 assists organizes the offense. Scott Skiles once got 30 assists in a single game. He delivered a basket almost every other minute.
Steals: The Sneaky Stuff
STL (Steals) happen when a defender snatches the ball cleanly. This could be from a bad pass or a loose dribble. It could also be from picking someone’s pocket.
This is a high-risk, high-reward move. Done well, it changes momentum instantly. Done poorly, you are out of position. Larry Kenon and Kendall Gill both got 11 steals in a game. They were like pests on the court.
Blocks: Not in My House
BLK (Blocks) are big crowd-pleasers. Nothing excites a team more than a rejection into the fifth row.
Not all blocks are equal. Some swats just go out of bounds. This gives the other team another try. Other blocks start fast breaks. Context matters. Elmore Smith’s record is 17 blocks in one night. That is amazing rim protection.
Turnovers: The Facepalm Stat
TO (Turnovers): No one wants them. But they happen.
It might be a lazy pass. It might be stepping out of bounds. Sometimes, the ball just slips. Too many turnovers ruin a good performance. Players do not want to talk about turnovers. Coaches definitely do.
Milestones: When Numbers Stack Up
These are badges of honor. They are “did something special” stats.
Double-Double: Get double digits in two categories. An example is 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Triple-Double: Get ten or more in three categories. LeBron James often gets these.
Quadruple-Double: Only four players have done this. Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice. It is almost mythological.
5×5: Get at least 5 in five categories. This is very rare. Victor Wembanyama is the newest player in this club.
These milestones show dominance. They also show versatility. Some players do everything.
The Nerdier Stuff (But Still Worth Knowing)
Here, we get into more detailed stats.
AST/TO (Assist-to-Turnover Ratio): This shows how smart a player is with the ball. A high number means good decisions.
PER (Player Efficiency Rating): This tries to summarize a player’s per-minute impact in one number. Average is 15. Higher than 25 is MVP-level. It is not perfect, but it helps.
PIR (Performance Index Rating): This is the Euroleague’s PER. It weighs good actions against bad ones. It is like a basketball karma score.
These stats are not absolute truth. But they add depth. They help compare players who do different things.
Per Game Stats: Slicing the Pie
You will see many stats labeled “per game” or “per 48 min.”
PPG (Points Per Game): This is a player’s average scoring.
RPG (Rebounds Per Game): This is a player’s rebound average.
APG (Assists Per Game): This is a player’s assist average.
SPG (Steals Per Game): This is a player’s steal average.
BPG (Blocks Per Game): This is a player’s block average.
MPG (Minutes Per Game): This is how long a player is on the court, on average.
“Per 48” adjusts numbers. It shows what a player would do if they played a full game. This is not always realistic. But it helps compare players with different playing times.
Zooming Out: Team Stats
It is not just about individuals. How a team plays together shows up in numbers.
Pace: This measures how many possessions per game a team averages. A higher pace means fast, high-scoring games. A lower pace means a slower, more controlled style.
PPP (Points Per Possession): This stat measures offensive efficiency. If a team scores many points with few possessions, that is elite.
TO% (Turnover Percentage): This shows how often a team gives away the ball. Lower is better. It is not flashy. But it wins games.
So next time you watch a game, someone might say, “He has 25-10-8 on 60% shooting with a PER of 28.” You will know what that means. You will probably have thoughts of your own about how that player is doing. This makes watching even more fun.