Basketball Statistics Blog

Basketball Statistics Analysis Referred Concepts:
Discussion about... When is it an Assist ?

About a discussion from the last Saturday at our eBA Statistics Forum "... A5 is dribbling around outside, he drops the ball into A7 in the post. A7 dribbles a bit (dribble of a center), tries to shake his defender, succeeds and scores. Does A5 get an assist ? ..."

Some excerpts from the conclusions:
... according to the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System, an assist has to be "a major part of the play", which either finds the player already with a "positional advantage", or helps him or her get one ...

... if A7 is well covered and gets himself open, then no assist ...

... is time a factor? Time is not a factor - action is ...

... if A7 spends that entire 5 seconds preparing his position for his shot, then there is no assist ...

... if A7 grabs the ball without purpose to shoot ( looks around for a pass, etc, and then decides to shoot ), there is no assist ...

... to register an assist, the pass needs to lead to directly to the "act of shooting", but the eBA System is more flexible ...

Photograph: Sportige.com

... is the quality of the pass a factor? Yes, if the receiver of the pass has to try so hard as to change direction or action to catch the pass, may be an assist is not registered ..."

... if A7 receive the pass and then has to make a subsequent move to evade the defense and score, no assist is awarded; but if he pass along the defender as result of a great pass, an assist is registered ...

... if the receiver catches the ball with no intent to shoot (i.e., is flat-footed, in a holding or passing position) and then decides to shoot, then typically no assist is awarded; but you, as that player statistician, who knows his movements and can establish that those actions are habitual, may be an assist is awarded ...

... in layup situations, any pass that put the shooter into that "act of shooting" is an assist, just as the "continuation" calls on fouls ...

... live time statisticians consider it an assist when a player finds another player open and that player makes one basketball move or less before putting up a shot: if that player dribbles more than once to gain position or sits on the ball (whether he's dribbling or not), they don't consider it an assist ...

... the eBA Basketball Statistics Analysis System is capable to register an assist after some dribbles and also a double assist: look for the previous messages in this blog performing the 'Search' with keyword: 'assist' ...
Prof. Roberto Azar

Excerpts of a discussion at the eBA Permanent Basketball Statistics Clinic

Read More at eBA CLINICS ONLINE, search "assist" 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
and at the eBA Encyclopedia.

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