Basketball Statistics Blog

Basketball Statistics Analysis Referred Concepts:
Calculating the Possessions Usage Rate

How can we calculate the usage rate in basketball ? Usage rate give you evidence about the number of possessions a player makes use of while on the court.

This statistic is a good indicator of how important is the role of a particular player has in the team's offense.

You must take only one individual player you want to analyze. Calculation for multiple players or teams can't be applied without doing the calculation individually.

Find at the boxscore or the stats sheet the following stats for the player who you have selected: field goal attempts, free throw attempts, assists and turnovers. If you are going to use multiple games, use the averages of each of these numbers.

Image: Orlando Pinstriped Post

Multiply free throw attempts by 0.44. The resulting number is known as adjusted free throws. As you know, the eBA System doesn´t apply the 0.44 coefficient.

If you are taking the live stats of the game go here to learn the eBA System about the eBA 'Up-to-the-Line' method.

Multiply assists by 0.33. The resulting number is known as adjusted assists.

Add adjusted free throws, adjusted assists, field goals attempted and turnovers. The resulting number is known as usage rate. While there are variations on how you arrive at usage rate ( and the eBA System has it's proper method, as studied at the eBA Clinics ), this is the way that is universal from league to league.

Using this method, you can compare players at any level to players in the NBA, FIBA and ULEB.

Image: Orlando Pinstriped Post

For a deep analysis go to eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System.

Compare usage rate between players to discover which players utilize their court time the most.

The higher the player's usage rate, the more possessions the player utilizes. However, a high usage rate is not always a positive indicator. If you are forming a team, you need to mix players with high usage rates with players with low usage rates to make sure everyone has the ball as much as they need it.
Prof. Roberto Azar

Excerpts of a discussion at the eBA Annual Basketball Statistics Clinic

Read More at eBA CLINICS ONLINE, search "possessions usage rate" in this blog and consult the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System.

( 'Basketball Registering Stats Referred Concepts'
is a Series of Notes edited every Thursday )

This topic is resumed in the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System
at the eBA Encyclopedia > eBA System.

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