Overview
Below is a glossary of commonly used terms and definitions associated with the Synergy Team Site. This list is inclusive of all commonly used terms and will be updated periodically or when new terminology needs to be defined.
Common Terminology
The terms below can be found in the column headers of categories of the new Team Site.
| % Time | The percentage of time a play type or situation occurs. |
| Poss | Any play that ends in a field goal attempt, a turnover, or a foul that results in free throws, excluding technical fouls. The possession begins when a team gains control of the ball. |
| Points | The number of points scored. |
| PPP | An efficiency rating that calculates how many points on average a player or team is scoring in a specific play type or category, per possession. A sample PPP situation is if a team or player has three consecutive possessions:
That result is the team or player scoring 6 points on 3 possessions. The Points Per Possession for this situation would equal 2.0. Formula |
| PPS | An efficiency rating that calculates how many points on average a player or team is scoring for a specific shot type or category, per shot. Formula: Sum of Points / Total Number of Field Goal Attempts (excluding Free Throw Attempts) |
| Rank | The percentile or actual rank that the Points Per Possession falls into when compared to the rest of the league. A category or play type must have a minimum of 10 possessions to qualify for a ranking. Clicking on a rank will generate a leaderboard for that situation. |
| SSM | Synergy Shot Making represents how much an individual shooter exceeds expectations relative to a league-average shooter facing the same situation. Players who make more shots than would be expected will have higher SSM scores. Formula: PPS - SSQ |
| SSQ | Synergy Shot Quality determines the expected points per shot. Shot quality is based on shot type (jumper, layup, etc.), shot distance, defender distance (whether the shot was open or guarded), play type (the action that led to the shot), etc. Example: If an open, spot-up, catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the top of the key was converted about 38% the previous season, the SSQ for that kind of shot would be estimated at 38% x 3 points or 1.14 points per shot. Formula: Average Expected Points Per Shot (Shot Probability * Value of Shot) |
| FGm | The number of field goals missed. |
| FGM | The number of field goals made. |
| FGA | The number of field goals attempted. |
| FG% | The percent of field goals made to field goals attempted. Formula: FG%= Field Goals Made/Field Goals Attempted |
| aFG% | A formula designed to determine the impact of 3-point shooting on a player’s overall shooting percentage. Formula: aFG%= [(Total Points- Free Throws Made) / FGA] / 2 |
| %TO | A formula that calculates the percentage of possessions a player or team turns the ball over. Formula: %TO= (Total Turnovers) / (Total Possessions) |
| %FT | The percentage of possessions when a player or team is awarded at least one free throw. Formula: %FT= (Total Possessions With a FTA) / (Total Possessions) |
| %SF | The percentage of possessions a player or team is fouled in the act of shooting. Formula: %SF= (Total Shooting Fouls Drawn) / (Total Possessions) |
| %Score | The percentage of possessions a player or team scores a minimum of 1 point. This includes made free throws. Formula: %Score= (Total Possessions with ≥ 1 Point) / (Total Possessions) |
Cumulative Box Score Terminology
The terms below can be found in the cumulative box score of the new Team Site.
| GP | Games played. |
| Min | The amount of time played by a team or player. |
| SST | An efficiency rating that calculates a number of statistical contributions by a team or player into one rating. |
| SST ex Pts | An efficiency rating that calculates a number of statistical contributions by a team or player into one rating, excluding points scored. |
| Pts | The number of points scored. |
| Ast | The number of assists recorded. |
| T/O | The number of turnovers committed. |
| Ast/TO | Assist-to-Turnover Ratio (the number of assists to turnovers recorded). |
| Stl | The amount of steals recorded. |
| Stl Pos | Stolen Possessions (the number of times the ball was stolen from a player or team). |
| Blk | The number of blocks recorded. |
| Blk FGA | Blocked Field Goal Attempts (the amount of blocked field goal attempts by an offensive player or team).
|
| Ttl Reb | The total amount of offensive and defensive rebounds recorded. |
| Off Reb | The number of offensive rebounds recorded. |
| Def Reb | The number of defensive rebounds recorded. |
| FGA | The number of field goals attempted. |
| FGM | The number of field goals made. |
| FGm | The number of field goals missed. |
| FG% | The percent of free throws made to free throws attempted. Formula: FT%= Free Throws Made/Free Throws Attempted |
| aFG% | A formula designed to determine the impact of 3-point shooting on a player’s overall shooting percentage. Formula: aFG%= [(Total Points- Free Throws Made) / FGA] / 2 |
| 2 FGA | The amount of 2-point field goal attempts. |
| 2 FGM | The amount of 2-point field goals made. |
| 2 FGm | The amount of 2-point field goals missed. |
| 2 FG% | The percent of 2-point field goals made to 2-point field goals attempted. |
| 3 FGA | The amount of 3-point field goal attempts. |
| 3 FGM | The amount of 3-point field goals made. |
| 3 FGm | The amount of 3-point field goals missed. |
| 3 FG% | The percent of 3-point field goals made to 3-point field goals attempted. |
| FTA | The number of free throw attempts. |
| FTM | The number of free throws made. |
| FTm | The number of free throws missed. |
| FT% | The percent of free throws made to free throws attempted. Formula: FT%= Free Throws Made/Free Throws Attempted |
| +1 | When a player is fouled in the act of shooting and makes a field goal attempt. |
| Chg Tkn | The number of charges a defensive player drew on an offensive player. |
| Chg Com | The number of charges an offensive player was credited with. |
| PF Tkn | When an offensive player draws a foul on a defensive player. |
| PF Com | When a defensive player commits a foul on an offensive player. |
| DBL DBL | The total of double-doubles that a player accrues. |
| TRI DBL | The total of triple-doubles that a player accrues. |
| STL + BLK | The number of steals plus blocks that a player accrues. |
| TSA | The formula for True Shooting Attempts is Field Goal Attempts + 0.44 * Free Throw Attempts. |
| TS% | The formula is points / (2 * True Shooting Attempts). True shooting percentage is a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws. |
| GM Score | Game Score is a player evaluation metric that helps quantify a player's impact on a game. The formula is (Points)+0.4*(Field Goals Made)+0.7*(Offensive Rebounds)+0.3*(Defensive rebounds)+(Steals)+0.7*(Assists)+0.7*(Blocked Shots)- 0.7*(Field Goal Attempts)-0.4*(Free Throws Missed) – 0.4*(Personal Fouls)-(Turnovers). |
| FTA/FGA | Free Throw Rate is a metric that evaluates how often free throws are taken in comparison to field goal attempts. The formula is Free Throw Attempts / Field Goal Attempts. |
| 3PA/FGA | Three Point Rate is a metric that evaluates how often three-point shots are taken in comparison to overall field goal attempts. The formula is Three Point Attempts / Field Goal Attempts. |
| STL/TO | Steal to Turnover Ratio measure how often steals are made in comparison to the frequency of turnovers. The formula is Steals / Turnovers. |
| BLK/FOUL | Block to Foul Ratio measures how often a block occurs in comparison to how often a foul occurs. The formula is Blocks / Fouls. |
| BLK FGA/FGA | Blocked Field Goal Rate measures how often a shot is blocked in comparison to how often a shot is taken. The formula is Blocked Field Goal Attempts / Field Goals Attempts. |
Poss+Ast | The number of both possessions and assists a single player has. Formula: Poss+Ast=(Total Possessions )+(Total Assists) |
PP(P+A) | An efficiency rating that calculates how many points on average a player is scoring, per possession, including possessions where the points were scored as a result of a player's assist. The points scored because of assists from a given player are used to calculate a player's PP(P+A). A sample PP(P+A) situation is i f a player has three consecutive possessions:
That gives the player 3 points of his own, and 3 points via an assist on 3 possessions. The PP(P+A) for this situation would equal 2.0. Formula: PP(P+A)=(Total Points)+(Total points scored from Assists)/( Poss+Ast ) |
Ast/TO | The amount of assists to turnovers recorded. Formula: Ast/TO= Total Assists/Total Turnovers |
%Poss | The percentage of the Poss+Ast number that was a Possession. Formula: %Poss= Poss /( Poss+Ast ) |
Poss | Any play that ends in a field goal attempt, a turnover, or a foul that results in free throws, excluding technical fouls. The possession begins when a team gains control of the ball. |
%Ast | The percentage of the Poss+Ast number that was an assist. Formula: %Poss= Ast /( Poss+Ast ) |
Ast | The amount of assists recorded. |
% 2 Ast | The percent of assists that lead to a 2 FGM . Formula: % 2 Ast= 2 FGM from Assists/Assists |
% 3 Ast | The percent of assists that lead to a 3 FGM.. Formula: % 3 Ast= 3 FGM from Assists / Assists |
PPA | Points per assist. An efficiency rating that calculates how many points on average are being scored as a result of a player's assists. None of a player's own points are used to calculate PPA, only points scored from assists. A sample PPA situation is if a player has three consecutive possessions:
That gives the player 3 points of his own, and 3 points via an assist on 3 possessions. However, in PPA only the 3 points scored on the assist, and the one possession that had an assist would be used in the calculation, The PPA for this situation would equal 3.0. Formula: PPA=(Total points scored from Assists)/Assists |
Terms Definitions
- Spot Up: When the possession ending event is a catch and shoot or catch and drive play. Spot-up players typically have a defender closing out on them during a defensive rotation and the spot-up player has the option of shooting the ball before the defender gets to them, letting the defender fly by and then shooting or driving, or they can use the defender's forward motion against them and drive to the basket. This situation also occurs during an off-screen play. Therefore, if there was no screen, we then log the play as a spot-up. Other times spot-up players seem to simply get open, perhaps because their defender sagged towards the basket or simply went to sleep. In this case, the offensive player still has the option to shoot or drive.
- Transition: When the possession-ending event comes before the defense sets following a possession change and a transition from one end of the court to the other. Unlike some other fastbreak definitions, Synergy’s definition allows for a considerable period of time to pass before the possession ends – for example, the center can trail down the floor after all the other transition options have been explored and if his defender is back guarding the paint and so is open to shoot a perimeter shot, then it is still logged as a transition. It can also include press breaks as the ball is quickly moved from the backcourt to the front court.
- P&R; Ball Handler: The Ball Handler either uses, splits, or goes away from the screen while being guarded by a single defender and there is a possession-ending event.
- Post-Up: A single defender guarding the offensive player in the post.
- Cut: An interior play where the finisher catches a pass while moving toward, parallel to, or slightly away from the basket. This will include back screen and flash cuts as well as times when the player is left open near the basket when his defender leaves him to help with a penetrating offensive player such as in a draw and kick situation.
- Isolation: The possession-ending event comes off of a “one on one” match-up between the offense and defensive player.
- P&R; Roll Man: When a screen is set for the ball handler, and the screen setter then receives the ball for a possession-ending event. This action can include:
- Pick and rolls: The ball handler comes off the pick and the roll man rolls toward the basket before receiving the ball.
- Pick and pops: The ball handler comes off the pick and the roll man pops out away from the basket to receive the ball.
- Slips Pick: The roll man slips the pick prior to the ball handler using him as a screen, then receives the ball.
- Off Screen: Identifies players coming off of screens (typically down screens) going away from the basket toward the perimeter. This includes curl, fades, and coming off straight. Selected options in this regard are typically dictated by the path the player’s defender takes. For example, when a defender chases, the offensive player may curl to the middle to create space. Or when the defender cuts inside the screen, the offensive player may fade towards the corner. Flare screens are also “off-screen” but differ in that the screen is set on the perimeter and the offensive player uses the screen to get separation from their defender using a path that is somewhat parallel to the basket.
- Offensive Rebounds: When the rebounder attempts to score before passing the ball or establishing themselves in another play type.
- Hand Off: The screen setter starts with the ball and hands the ball to a player cutting close by. This enables the player handing the ball off to effectively screen off a defender creating space for the player receiving the ball.
- Miscellaneous: When the action doesn't fit any of the other play types. This includes, but is not limited to, last-second full-court shots, fouls in the backcourt, errant passes not out of a different play type, etc.
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