FanPost

Shooting "Assisted" versus Unassisted

Shooting "Assisted" versus Unassisted

The idea is simple. If a player receives a pass and shoots such that it would be an assisted shot, some percentage of the time the shot goes in the basket. If a player shoots unassisted, he also has a percentage when he makes it. What are these percentages, and how do they differ? A straightforward question and, I presumed an important one.

However, I did not find answers readily available. Therefore, after becoming frustrated, I did some calculations to see what I could derive from the numbers that I was able to find at such places as NBA.com, Basketball Reference, ESPN, and 82minutes. Holding my effort to a tolerable level, I did the calculations for NBA teams in 2015-16.

Reading the table below from left to right, passes are made; most are received; some shots are taken that have the potential to be assisted makes; and if made, this is an assisted shot that scores points. [Full Table with all teams is in Annex.] The percentage at which potentially assisted shots are made I call Potentially Assisted Field Goal percentage (Potential AST FG%). For the league, this number is 0.504. From NBA.com’s perspective, one other way exists to create points from a pass, the receiver if he is fouled and makes at least one free throw. NBA.com calls this a free throw assist (FT AST). [Foul must occur on within 4 seconds and 2 dribbles after pass and if a shot must is taken, it be missed.] Assists ultimately result in points (AST PTS Created).

The highest Potentially Assisted FG% were by GSW, 0.545; SAS, 0.540; MIL, 0.538; and CLE, 0.526. These were different from the best percentages for unassisted shots MIA, 0.432; OKC, 0.429; UTA, 0.429; IND, 0.420; and SAS, 0.416. Some of the differences in the offenses of the teams on these lists of highest teams appear to relate to their offensive schemes and habits. Cause and effect could be either the schemes yield assisted or unassisted shots or the degree to which the teams play was adjusted to the skills (or desires) of the players for creating their own shots.

The last two columns provide comparison to unassisted shots, the percentage made and how much better the potentially assisted percentage is than for unassisted shots. For the league 0.504 - 0.394 = 0.110, so shots when a teammate would earn an assist has had much better results than when players created their own shot opportunity unassisted. The maximum difference was for NOP, 0.154, and the minimum was a surprisingly small 0.039 for UTA. The highest differences were for (high to low) NOP, MIL, GSW, CHI, DEN, and CLE. The lowest differences were for (low to high) UTA, IND, NYK, MIA, and PHO.

Selected Teams – Full Table with all teams in Annex

Team 2015-16

Passes
Made

Passes
Received

Potential
AST

AST

AST/ PotentialAST = Potential AST FG%

FT
AST

AST
PTS
Created

UAST FG%

Potential AST -UAST FG%

BOS

25789

25728

4029

1947

0.483

202

4621

0.375

0.108

CLE

24614

24550

3539

1861

0.526

185

4576

0.391

0.135

GSW

26491

26447

4354

2373

0.545

235

5743

0.398

0.147

LAC

23712

23657

3572

1873

0.524

192

4482

0.398

0.126

OKC

21650

21596

3614

1883

0.521

186

4388

0.429

0.092

POR

23347

23289

3506

1748

0.499

199

4276

0.402

0.097

SAS

27196

27155

3724

2010

0.540

149

4613

0.416

0.124

TOR

24741

24685

3004

1516

0.505

152

3714

0.401

0.104

UTA

29097

29038

3322

1554

0.468

189

3789

0.429

0.039

League

747761

746091

108541

54728

0.504

5597

130190

0.394

0.110

Derived from data at NBA.com

[More concerning unassisted shots is in the Annex.]

I wanted to investigate the Potentially Assisted FG% separately for 2- and 3-point shots. I can tell you that the league takes only slightly more assisted than unassisted 2-pointers (4% more) and many more assisted 3-pointer than unassisted (5.166 times more). [These and related stats for individual teams are in the Annex.]

Regarding Potentially Assisted FG%, what I could find were numbers for catch and shoot and pull up 3-point shots that I could compare. While these ignore shots where the player caught the ball and held it for more than 2 seconds before shooting, I felt it provided a reasonably generalizable comparison between assisted and unassisted 3-point shots. League-wide players shot 37.2% on catch and shoot 3-pointers and 30.9% on pull up 3-pointers – a difference of 6.3%. The table below provides individual team numbers for selected teams. Numbers for all teams are in the Annex.

Catch and Shoot

Pull Up

Catch and Shoot - Pull up

Catch and Shoot Ratio to Pull up

Team

3PM

3PA

3P%

3PM

3PA

3P%

3P%

3PA

BOS

542

1568

34.6

157

508

30.9

3.7

3.087

CLE

681

1755

38.8

181

607

29.8

9

2.891

GSW

776

1810

42.9

289

739

39.1

3.8

2.449

LAC

568

1477

38.5

211

666

31.7

6.8

2.218

OKC

466

1277

36.5

202

632

32

4.5

2.021

POR

625

1629

38.4

221

655

33.7

4.7

2.487

SAS

484

1230

39.3

79

266

29.7

9.6

4.624

TOR

571

1429

40

124

427

29

11

3.347

UTA

538

1413

38.1

152

508

29.9

8.2

2.781

League

16078

43269

37.2

4517

14611

30.9

6.3

2.961

Derived from data at NBA.com

CONCLUSION

Certainly, no one is surprised that potentially assisted shots have gone in at a higher percentage than unassisted shots. However, some may be surprised by the magnitude of the difference 11%, 50.4% versus 39.4% league wide. In addition, to me it is interesting to have values for these percentages and the others covered above for teams of interest and see differences across teams.

ANNEX

Potentially Assisted versus Unassisted

Team 2015-16

Passes
Made

Passes
Received

Potential
AST

AST

AST/ PotentialAST = Potential AST FG%

FT
AST

AST
PTS
Created

UAST FG%

Potential AST -UAST FG%

ATL

26606

26555

4132

2100

0.508

152

5019

0.383

0.125

BOS

25789

25728

4029

1947

0.483

202

4621

0.375

0.108

BRK

23943

23891

3641

1829

0.502

172

4211

0.399

0.103

CHA

25214

25163

3697

1778

0.481

197

4425

0.39

0.091

CHI

25461

25412

3643

1870

0.513

171

4416

0.367

0.146

CLE

24614

24550

3539

1861

0.526

185

4576

0.391

0.135

DAL

27244

27191

3740

1813

0.485

201

4448

0.396

0.089

DEN

23845

23785

3666

1858

0.507

198

4358

0.37

0.137

DET

22591

22524

3210

1594

0.497

186

3877

0.391

0.106

GSW

26491

26447

4354

2373

0.545

235

5743

0.398

0.147

HOU

23617

23569

3607

1821

0.505

209

4443

0.393

0.112

IND

25060

25008

3648

1741

0.477

209

4128

0.420

0.057

LAC

23712

23657

3572

1873

0.524

192

4482

0.398

0.126

LAL

23102

23042

3037

1478

0.487

153

3504

0.358

0.129

MEM

25163

25105

3431

1697

0.495

190

3954

0.386

0.109

MIA

24790

24709

3362

1709

0.508

170

3968

0.432

0.076

MIL

23898

23830

3522

1895

0.538

204

4296

0.388

0.150

MIN

23270

23227

3670

1916

0.522

211

4361

0.393

0.129

NOP

24040

23987

3454

1818

0.526

180

4322

0.372

0.154

NYK

28216

28161

3577

1682

0.47

186

4020

0.405

0.065

OKC

21650

21596

3614

1883

0.521

186

4388

0.429

0.092

ORL

24933

24884

3834

1905

0.497

147

4441

0.398

0.099

PHI

27259

27206

3663

1765

0.482

173

4273

0.374

0.108

PHO

25585

25522

3572

1701

0.476

167

4115

0.392

0.084

POR

23347

23289

3506

1748

0.499

199

4276

0.402

0.097

SAC

22837

22785

3842

1988

0.517

222

4666

0.393

0.124

SAS

27196

27155

3724

2010

0.540

149

4613

0.416

0.124

TOR

24741

24685

3004

1516

0.505

152

3714

0.401

0.104

UTA

29097

29038

3322

1554

0.468

189

3789

0.429

0.039

WAS

24450

24390

3929

2005

0.510

210

4743

0.397

0.113

League

747761

746091

108541

54728

0.504

5597

130190

0.394

0.110

Derived from data at NBA.com

Unassisted and related information

Team 2015-16

UAST FGA

UAST FGM

UAST FG%

Est.

2FGM

AST

Est.

2FGM

UAST

Est.

AST/UAST

2FGM

Est.

3FGM

AST

Est.

3FGM

UAST

Est.

AST/ UAST

3FGM

ATL

2791

1068

0.383

1369

984

1.392

730

85

8.615

BOS

3289

1235

0.375

1364

1135

1.203

616

101

6.092

BRK

3279

1307

0.399

1381

1224

1.128

448

83

5.410

CHA

3225

1258

0.390

1043

1120

0.931

735

138

5.329

CHI

3527

1295

0.367

1295

1219

1.062

576

75

7.696

CLE

3349

1310

0.391

1102

1189

0.927

759

121

6.299

DAL

3160

1251

0.396

1129

1129

1.000

685

121

5.667

DEN

3337

1235

0.370

1323

1114

1.188

534

122

4.376

DET

3877

1517

0.391

1001

1370

0.730

594

146

4.076

GSW

2805

1116

0.398

1510

902

1.674

863

214

4.025

HOU

3240

1273

0.393

1126

1090

1.033

696

182

3.831

IND

3337

1401

0.420

1207

1272

0.949

533

130

4.102

LAC

3187

1268

0.398

1233

1111

1.110

639

158

4.051

LAL

3919

1402

0.358

1008

1233

0.818

469

170

2.759

MEM

3428

1322

0.386

1263

1252

1.008

434

70

6.194

MIA

3335

1441

0.432

1246

1406

0.887

462

36

12.889

MIL

3218

1250

0.388

1501

1204

1.247

395

45

8.804

MIN

2998

1179

0.393

1526

1114

1.370

390

65

5.993

NOP

3586

1335

0.372

1250

1201

1.041

568

134

4.236

NYK

3309

1340

0.405

1151

1261

0.912

531

79

6.692

OKC

3468

1489

0.429

1369

1325

1.033

514

164

3.132

ORL

3286

1309

0.398

1376

1230

1.119

556

80

6.937

PHI

3224

1205

0.374

1105

1101

1.004

659

105

6.299

PHO

3446

1350

0.392

1087

1226

0.887

614

124

4.952

POR

3534

1419

0.402

1080

1223

0.883

667

197

3.386

SAC

3241

1274

0.393

1443

1180

1.222

566

94

6.042

SAS

3073

1279

0.416

1493

1226

1.217

516

54

9.526

TOR

3665

1470

0.401

919

1379

0.667

616

92

6.692

UTA

3271

1403

0.429

982

1281

0.767

571

123

4.650

WAS

3104

1233

0.397

1386

1143

1.212

619

90

6.874

League

99508

39234

0.394

37268

35844

1.040

17555

3398

5.166

Derived from data at NBA.com

Catch and Shoot versus Pull Up 3-Point Shots

Catch and Shoot

Catch and Shoot

Catch and Shoot

Pull Up

Pull Up

Pull Up

Catch and Shoot - Pull up

Catch and Shoot Ratio to Pull up

Team

3PM

3PA

3P%

3PM

3PA

3P%

3P%

3PA

ATL

668

1800

37.1

141

493

28.6

8.5

3.651

BOS

542

1568

34.6

157

508

30.9

3.7

3.087

BRK

406

1114

36.4

114

366

31.1

5.3

3.044

CHA

696

1827

38.1

176

567

31

7.1

3.222

CHI

535

1354

39.5

107

361

29.6

9.9

3.751

CLE

681

1755

38.8

181

607

29.8

9

2.891

DAL

627

1707

36.7

166

593

28

8.7

2.879

DEN

495

1393

35.5

152

506

30

5.5

2.753

DET

559

1516

36.9

172

579

29.7

7.2

2.618

GSW

776

1810

42.9

289

739

39.1

3.8

2.449

HOU

630

1733

36.4

228

735

31

5.4

2.358

IND

500

1356

36.9

155

500

31

5.9

2.712

LAC

568

1477

38.5

211

666

31.7

6.8

2.218

LAL

390

1175

33.2

225

744

30.2

3

1.579

MEM

402

1162

34.6

90

317

28.4

6.2

3.666

MIA

437

1234

35.4

60

221

27.1

8.3

5.584

MIL

366

1009

36.3

68

238

28.6

7.7

4.239

MIN

339

968

35

109

342

31.9

3.1

2.83

NOP

485

1331

36.4

201

575

35

1.4

2.315

NYK

486

1345

36.1

108

369

29.3

6.8

3.645

OKC

466

1277

36.5

202

632

32

4.5

2.021

ORL

521

1413

36.9

96

343

28

8.9

4.12

PHI

619

1735

35.7

134

480

27.9

7.8

3.615

PHO

562

1486

37.8

165

566

29.2

8.6

2.625

POR

625

1629

38.4

221

655

33.7

4.7

2.487

SAC

521

1435

36.3

120

351

34.2

2.1

4.088

SAS

484

1230

39.3

79

266

29.7

9.6

4.624

TOR

571

1429

40

124

427

29

11

3.347

UTA

538

1413

38.1

152

508

29.9

8.2

2.781

WAS

583

1588

36.7

114

357

31.9

4.8

4.448

League

16078

43269

37.2

4517

14611

30.9

6.3

2.961

Derived from data at NBA.com


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