As you already know, making an assist in the NBA is just as important as making the shot. In order for a team to be good, its players need to know how to pass the ball at the most opportune time. There is a really good chance that you like looking at NBA statistics.
If so, you’ve probably noticed something that is referred to as an advanced assist. What is an advanced assist? Below, you’re going to discover the advanced assist in the NBA explained in greater depth. Read the guide to find out how it works and what it means.
Two Metrics of the Advanced Assist in the NBA
Ultimately, advanced assist is not something that is done on the court. It isn’t a complex assist that most players couldn’t pull off. Instead, the advanced assist is actually a combination of two other metrics. It is metric that is acquired after combining the player’s assist ratio and assist percentage. It might be possible to formulate the advanced assist in other ways, but this is the most common method.
The assist percentage is pretty easy to understand. It is the percentage of field goals made when the player has passed to a teammate. Stephen Curry has been exceptionally good in this particular category. Just a few years ago, he had a 46.8% assist percentage. This means that his teammates made 46.8% of their shots when Curry assisted and was still on the court.
The assist ratio is a little different. It tells you a great deal more about how often the player in question passes the ball. It is a breakdown of the player’s possessions that ultimately finish with an assist.
The Problem
While the aforementioned factors are indeed important, there is one slight problem here. These two metrics depend heavily on the other player’s ability to make the shot. This could ultimately hurt a good passer who is playing on a bad team. This is why the NBA has started adding new metrics to the equation. Several years ago, the league introduced new SportVU Player Tracking Data. This provided fans with access to more information, such as Passes Per Game, Secondary Assists, Assist Opportunities, Free throw Assists, and even Points Created By Assists.
Obviously, this information is far more in-depth and it gives fans most insight into how their favorite players are performing out there.
Advanced Stats Are Just Beginning
There is no denying the fact that fans like these “advanced” stats. It gives them more information about the game and the performances being put up. Simultaneously, it could be a good thing for people who are going to be betting on the sport at some point. The Assist Opportunities category definitely provides more accurate insight. This can help eliminate the player’s need to depend on their teammates’ shooting ability to build their stats.
With this in mind, there is a good chance that this trend is going to continue well into the future. More and more advanced stats will likely be added to the score books at some point in the near future.
