You don’t need an NBA analytics department to coach with numbers. This page collects every stats and analytics article on Hoop Coach in one place, from free stat sheets and shot charts to player ratings like PER and plus/minus, team efficiency, turnovers, lineups and charting. Most of it is written for high school and college coaches who keep their own stats.
Using Stats as a Coach: 7 Principles
- Count possessions. Points per game depends on pace. Points per possession tells you how good your offense and defense really are.
- Efficiency beats volume. A player who scores 15 on 15 shots helped more than one who scored 20 on 25. Stats like effective field goal percentage account for this.
- Watch out for empty stats. Raw numbers can mislead. A block or steal looks good in the box score, but the missed attempts that led to easy baskets don’t show up.
- Compare yourself to the other team. Differentials in shots, turnovers, rebounds and free throws often explain a result better than your own totals.
- Adjust for playing time. Per-minute numbers show which bench players are productive and which starters aren’t.
- Track what you teach. If you care about deflections, charges, good passes or ball reversals, count them. Players pay attention to what gets measured.
- Keep it simple enough to use. A few numbers you can read at halftime are worth more than a spreadsheet nobody opens.
Free Stat Sheets and Shot Charts
- Blank Basketball Stat Sheets: printable PDFs for field goals, assists, turnovers, rebounds, steals and blocks
- Basketball Shot Charts: printable shot charts for one or both teams, by half
- Basketball Shot Chart Tracker: track shot location and results online and export reports
- How to Chart a Game: Offense Edition: know which sets and plays are working when the game is close
- How to Chart a Game: Defensive Edition
Player Ratings and Individual Stats
- Player Efficiency Rating (PER): What Is PER in Basketball?: John Hollinger’s all-in-one rating explained
- PER and the “True Value” of a Player
- Plus/Minus in Basketball: What the +/- Stat Means: how the stat works and how coaches can use it
- Matchup (+/-): An Old-School Advanced Stat: did each player outscore the player he guarded?
- Tracking Player Stats per Minute of Playing Time
- Analyzing Players’ Defensive Values: what PER leaves out on defense
- Using Advanced Metrics to Chart Intangibles
- Best Analytic? A Vote for True Game Value and True Season Value
- Is the Whole Truly Greater Than the Sum of the Parts?
- Empty Stats: How Much Do You and Your Players Need to Know?
- Blocks and Steals: Track the Unsuccessful Attempts Too
- Charting Your Players’ “Good Pass” Percentage
- Are Your Players Ball-Movers or Black Holes?: chart every catch and what happens next
Team Efficiency and Possessions
- Points per Possession: how to calculate it, including how to estimate possessions
- Offensive and Defensive Efficiency: points scored and allowed per possession
- Using Efficiency Ratings in Greater Detail
- What Is a “Good” Basketball Possession?
- Passes per Possession: An Eye-Opening Metric
- Ball Reversals and Points per Possession
- Analyzing Your Possessions by Shot Clock Segments: how you score in each third of the shot clock
- Late Clock Efficiency Checklist: the last 10 seconds of the shot clock
- Isolating and Analyzing 5 Possessions a Game: most games come down to five or fewer possessions
- Differentials: Powerful Metrics That Are Easy to Track
- How Tempo and Style of Play Affect Individual Stats
Shooting Stats
- Understanding Effective Field Goal Percentage: why a three counts for more than a two
- Advanced Field Goal Percentage Analysis
- Using Expected Value to Define a “Good Shot”
- Mid-Range Shots: Your Thoughts and Standards
Turnovers, Fouls and Defensive Charting
- What Turnovers Can You Tolerate?
- Turnover+: The Defensive Stat You Should Be Tracking
- Reduce Fouls and Turnovers: Increase Your Competitive Edge
- Sudden Change: Defending Live Ball Turnovers
- Charting Defensive Accountability, Part 1
- Charting Defensive Accountability, Part 2
- Reasonable Defensive Expectations
- Charting Broken Plays: A Teaching Tool
Hustle Stats and Motivation
- Examining the NBA’s Player Hustle Stats: contested shots, charges, deflections, loose balls and screen assists
- NBA Hustle Stats: A Follow-Up
- Non-Traditional Stats to Motivate Your Players
- Quantifying Team Chemistry
Lineup Analysis
- Lineup Analysis: How Effective Are Your Lineup Combinations?
- Advanced Lineup Analysis with Smaller Lineups
- Finding Your Best Offensive and Defensive Lineup
- Putting Bench Players in a Position to Succeed
Using the Numbers Wisely
- Finding Wisdom in Your Scorebook and Old Data: lessons from data you already have
- Be Careful What Analytics You Trust
Track Your Own Team
Start with the free blank stat sheets and shot charts, or use the online shot chart tracker. Once you know what’s working, draw it up in the Hoop Coach Playbook.