What is a good PPG in basketball

Home > Coaching > Stats > What is Effective Field Goal Percentage?

Effective Field Goal Percentage is a measurement of how successful your team is from the field. This metric provides a more complete picture of the game situation than standard field goal percentages because three point shots are given extra weight.

How Do We Calculate It?

Effective Field Goal Percentage, or eFG%, is calculated the following way:

(2pt FGM + 1.5*3pt FGM) / FGA

This means a made three-pointer is worth one and a half times as much as a made two-pointer. A player who shoots 4 for 10 on all two-point baskets has a standard FG% of 40% and an eFG% of 40%. But, if all those makes were three-pointers, that player’s eFG% is 60%, reflecting the extra value of a made three.

In a real game of basketball, what matters is points scored per possession. A player whose eFG% is 60% is scoring at a rate equal to shooting 60% on two-point field goal attempts, a very respectable number.

Why Do We Highly Recommend this Metric?

The Effective Field Goal Percentage can tell you at a glance which team is having more success from the field. The team with the higher percentage is scoring more effectively from the field.

eFG% is what I would call a “high level key indicator”. Other high level indicators include:

• Field Goal Attempts
• Free Throw Attempts
• Free Throw Percentage

If you beat your opponent in all 4 high level key indicators, you will always win. From a winning standpoint, are there any metrics that are more important?

You could argue that eFG% is the most important stat because in a typical game the majority of points are scored from the field. If you have a high eFG% and your opponent has a low eFG%, then both your offense and defense is probably doing quite well. And you have a really good chance to win.

Of course rebounds, free throw attempts, and field goal attempts are all important and affect the outcome of the game. But if I could only choose one stat to be really high, I would choose eFG%.

The Sabermetrics of Basketball

In the book, Basketball on Paper (which is basketball's version of Moneyball and an excellent book), Dean Oliver identified what he called the "Four Factors of Basketball Success":

1. Shooting (40%)
2. Turnovers (25%)
3. Rebounding (20%)
4. Free Throws (15%)

The number in parentheses is the approximate weight Mr. Oliver assigned each factor. Shooting is the most important factor, followed by turnovers, rebounding, and free throws.

The Four Factors were based on Oliver's extension research of the stats behind winning teams. He claims that shooting is the most important factor. I agree.

How to Use eFG% as a Coaching Tool

One of the simplest ways to effectively utilize eFG% is to look at the differential compared to your opponent. You can look at the differential for a single game, multiple games, or an entire season.

To show you what I mean, here’s a screenshot from our basketball stats app:

You’ll notice a differential of +20%. In this case, my team is Iowa and we want positive differentials. A positive number tells me that my team is winning in the statistic. And in this case we’re winning by a significant margin!

This allows you to quickly glance at the differential and you’ll know precisely how your team is performing in that area.

If you are getting beaten badly, then you need to figure out why your eFG% is lower. Then figure how to remedy the problem by making adjustments to your defense and/or offense.

By looking at the eFG% differential, you immediately get a completely objective indication of how you are performing. There is no guesswork. And you can make informed and strategic decisions as a coach.

How Does Your eFG% Stack up to NBA, College, and High School Teams? What Should You Expect?

Just to give you a reference point, here are eFG% stats from various levels...

NBA Stats

In 2013, the average eFG% for the NBA was 49.66%. The Miami Heat has the highest eFG% at 55.24%. Guess who had the second highest eFG%?

The San Antonio Spurs had the second highest at 53.06%. These were the two best teams in the NBA and met in the finals!

Is it a coincidence that the teams with the two highest eFG% also had the best records and made it to the finals?

Seems to me like yet another bit of evidence that eFG% is an incredibly important stat.

Note: I tried to find stats for WNBA but couldn’t find it.

College Stats

In 2012/13 season, Creighton had the highest regular season eFG% at 58.2%. Howard had the lowest at 39.2%

I did a quick search for women's numbers but couldn’t find them.

High School and Youth Stats

Last year I coached a 9th grade boy's team that had a 49.5 eFG% for the season. We were undefeated for the season.

The previous year our 9th grade team had a 41.5 eFG% for the season. We won around half of our games.

Hopefully this gives you a little idea of what you can expect regarding numbers.

eFG% has become an important stat for me as a coach. I hope this article gives you some ideas and might allow you to utilize this simple metric to help you as a coach to win more games.

What Other Stats Do We Recommend?

As you can tell, we believe eFG% is one of the most important stats you should use as a coach. But that’s only one stat.

Here you can read about the other stats we recommend and how they can help you as a coach.

I'm a sophomore Varsity SG that just scored 100 points in the season (season isn't over yet). Does anyone know the average points a starting high school basketball player scores in a season? When I ask this question, I'm considering ALL starting high school basketball players, not just the ranked/prodigy players.

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What is PPG in basketball? Points Per Game is an important statistical measure that all basketball enthusiasts are keen on looking into. After all, points are obviously the most critical aspect of this game and knowing who are the best players to have in your team will really help you reach the playoffs. 

But just how do you gauge a player’s scoring prowess in the easiest way possible? You get a hold of the Points Average per Game (PPG) averages. Let’s take a deeper look about what is PPG in basketball. 

Delve into Game Statistics: Discovering What is PPG in Basketball

A team can only win in basketball when it secures the lead at the end of regulation. This means that scoring is an important aspect of the game, and every squad must have capable offensive players to get the job done. In relation to this, how would you gauge a player’s scoring prowess in the easiest way possible? Get a hold of the Points Per Game (PPG) averages.

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PPG (Point Per Game) is a commonly used stat in basketball, showing how good a player is by recording their points per game average over the course of a given season. This tells us how many points a player brings to the table on a given night. 

A higher average means a player is more valuable to his team, whilst a lower average means he is less valuable. It is important to note that not all players who play basketball are equally good at scoring goals; some players will be more prolific in terms of free throws made, for example, while others will struggle at all points from free-throw to basket.

There are two ways in which this can be measured. Firstly, by comparing a players’ points per game throughout the season with everyone else’s. This can sometimes give an indication of a player’s ability to influence the game since differences in levels of play can often be attributed to differences in ability rather than technique or style of play. Secondly, the per 40 minutes played statistic is sometimes used to show how many points a player contributes to his team’s overall output over a 40 minute period.

Play your best game in the court!

PPG (points per game) is one of the most important statistics in the NBA because it dictates how many points a player contributes to his team’s scoring average. 

Computation for PPG

The easiest way to work out your point per game ratio is by dividing your total points scored by the total number of games played.

Keep Tabs on Your PPG

Points Per Game is a very important statistic for basketball players and fans alike. In fact, it’s the one used to measure the performances of the players and teams in the game of basketball. Make sure to take this into mind all the time.

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