Chapter 9 Quiz: Advanced Box Score Metrics

Instructions

This quiz contains 25 questions covering advanced box score metrics from Chapter 9. Questions test your understanding of PER, Game Score, PIE, Usage Rate, and various percentage-based metrics.

Scoring Guide: - Multiple Choice: 2 points each - True/False: 1 point each - Calculations: 4 points each - Short Answer: 3 points each

Section A: Player Efficiency Rating (Questions 1-6)

Question 1 (Multiple Choice)

PER is normalized so that league average equals:

a) 10.0 b) 15.0 c) 20.0 d) 0.0

Question 2 (True/False)

PER equally weights offensive and defensive contributions.

Question 3 (Multiple Choice)

The "VOP" factor in PER calculation stands for:

a) Value of Player b) Value of Possession c) Volume of Production d) Variance of Performance

Question 4 (Short Answer)

Explain why PER has been criticized for its treatment of defensive contributions. What defensive actions does PER capture, and what does it miss?

Question 5 (Multiple Choice)

A player with a PER of 25 would typically be considered:

a) Below average b) League average c) All-NBA caliber d) Replacement level

Question 6 (True/False)

PER properly accounts for shot quality and defensive difficulty of opponents.

Section B: Game Score (Questions 7-11)

Question 7 (Calculation)

Calculate the Game Score for the following performance: - Points: 28 - FG: 10-18 - FT: 6-8 - 8 rebounds (3 offensive, 5 defensive) - 6 assists - 2 steals - 1 block - 3 turnovers - 4 fouls

Question 8 (Multiple Choice)

In the Game Score formula, offensive rebounds receive a coefficient of:

a) 0.3 b) 0.5 c) 0.7 d) 1.0

Question 9 (True/False)

Game Score can be negative for a player with an extremely poor performance.

Question 10 (Short Answer)

What advantages does Game Score have over PER for evaluating single-game performances?

Question 11 (Multiple Choice)

The highest Game Score in NBA history belongs to:

a) Wilt Chamberlain (100-point game) b) Kobe Bryant (81-point game) c) Michael Jordan d) LeBron James

Section C: Usage Rate (Questions 12-16)

Question 12 (Multiple Choice)

The 0.44 coefficient in the Usage Rate formula accounts for:

a) Three-point shooting value b) Free throw situations that don't end possessions c) Offensive rebounding d) Defensive possessions

Question 13 (Calculation)

Calculate Usage Rate for a player with: - FGA: 18 - FTA: 8 - TOV: 3 - Minutes: 36 - Team FGA: 88 - Team FTA: 24 - Team TOV: 14 - Team Minutes: 240

Question 14 (True/False)

League average Usage Rate is approximately 20%.

Question 15 (Short Answer)

Explain the relationship between Usage Rate and efficiency. Why is evaluating one without the other potentially misleading?

Question 16 (Multiple Choice)

Russell Westbrook's historic 2016-17 Usage Rate of 41.7% means:

a) He scored 41.7% of his team's points b) He used approximately 41.7% of team possessions while on court c) His efficiency was 41.7% below league average d) He played 41.7% of available minutes

Section D: Assist and Turnover Metrics (Questions 17-20)

Question 17 (Calculation)

Calculate Assist Percentage for a player with: - Assists: 8 - Minutes: 32 - Team FGM (excluding player): 38 - Team Minutes: 240

Question 18 (Multiple Choice)

A point guard with 40% AST% would typically be considered:

a) Below average for the position b) Average for the position c) Elite for the position d) Impossible to achieve

Question 19 (True/False)

Turnover Percentage is calculated as turnovers per 100 possessions used, where lower values indicate better ball security.

Question 20 (Short Answer)

Explain why the Assist-to-Turnover ratio provides important context that neither Assist Percentage nor Turnover Percentage alone captures.

Section E: Rebounding and Defensive Metrics (Questions 21-25)

Question 21 (Calculation)

Calculate Offensive Rebound Percentage for a player with: - Offensive Rebounds: 4 - Minutes: 30 - Team Minutes: 240 - Team OREB: 10 - Opponent DREB: 32

Question 22 (Multiple Choice)

Dennis Rodman's historic offensive rebounding seasons typically showed ORB% values of:

a) 5-8% b) 8-12% c) 12-18% d) 18-25%

Question 23 (True/False)

Block Percentage uses opponent two-point attempts in the denominator because three-point shots are rarely blocked.

Question 24 (Short Answer)

What important defensive contributions are NOT captured by Steal Percentage and Block Percentage? Why does this limitation matter for player evaluation?

Question 25 (Multiple Choice)

Player Impact Estimate (PIE) differs from PER primarily because:

a) It includes free throw attempts b) It measures contribution as a percentage of total game statistics c) It only counts positive contributions d) It adjusts for pace

Answer Key

Section A: Player Efficiency Rating

Question 1: b) 15.0

Question 2: False. PER has a well-documented offensive bias. Defense is only captured through steals and blocks, which represent a small fraction of overall defensive impact.

Question 3: b) Value of Possession

Question 4: Sample answer: PER only captures steals and blocks as defensive contributions. It completely misses: contesting shots without blocking them, forcing bad shots through positioning, defensive communication and rotations, switching and help defense, and post defense. A player can be an elite defender while recording few steals or blocks, making PER systematically undervalue defensive specialists. Players like Tony Allen or Draymond Green provide far more defensive value than their PER suggests.

Question 5: c) All-NBA caliber (PER 25-30 is considered borderline All-Star to All-NBA level)

Question 6: False. PER does not account for shot difficulty or the quality of defensive opposition faced.

Section B: Game Score

Question 7: Game Score = PTS + 0.4FG - 0.7FGA - 0.4(FTA-FT) + 0.7ORB + 0.3DRB + STL + 0.7AST + 0.7BLK - 0.4PF - TOV

= 28 + 0.4(10) - 0.7(18) - 0.4(8-6) + 0.7(3) + 0.3(5) + 2 + 0.7(6) + 0.7(1) - 0.4(4) - 3 = 28 + 4 - 12.6 - 0.8 + 2.1 + 1.5 + 2 + 4.2 + 0.7 - 1.6 - 3 = 24.5

Question 8: c) 0.7

Question 9: True. A player with many missed shots, turnovers, and fouls could have a negative Game Score.

Question 10: Sample answer: Game Score advantages over PER for single-game analysis: 1. Requires only individual box score data (no league/team context needed) 2. Simple to calculate quickly 3. No pace adjustment complications 4. Provides immediate assessment of game quality 5. Can be calculated during or immediately after games

Question 11: b) Kobe Bryant (81-point game) with a Game Score of 63.8. Note: Wilt's 100-point game is estimated at approximately 64.0 but predates official tracking.

Section C: Usage Rate

Question 12: b) Free throw situations that don't end possessions (and-ones, technical FTs, three-shot fouls)

Question 13: Player possessions = FGA + 0.44*FTA + TOV = 18 + 0.44(8) + 3 = 24.52 Team possessions = 88 + 0.44(24) + 14 = 112.56 Minutes factor = (240/5) / 36 = 1.333

USG% = 100 * (24.52 * 1.333) / 112.56 = 29.0%

Question 14: True. League average is approximately 20%, representing equal usage among five players.

Question 15: Sample answer: Usage Rate and efficiency must be evaluated together because: 1. High usage typically correlates with lower efficiency (more difficult shots) 2. A player with 30% USG and 55% TS is more valuable than one with 15% USG and 60% TS 3. Role players can maintain high efficiency because they take fewer, easier shots 4. Stars absorbing high usage while maintaining efficiency create tremendous value 5. Comparing efficiency without usage context favors low-volume scorers unfairly

Question 16: b) He used approximately 41.7% of team possessions while on court

Section D: Assist and Turnover Metrics

Question 17: Minutes factor = 32 / (240/5) = 32/48 = 0.667 Teammate FGs while on court (estimated) = 38 * 0.667 = 25.3

AST% = 100 * 8 / 25.3 = 31.6%

Question 18: c) Elite for the position. 40%+ AST% is historically rare (John Stockton, Chris Paul range).

Question 19: True

Question 20: Sample answer: The Assist-to-Turnover ratio provides important context because: 1. High AST% without context could reflect high-risk passing style 2. TOV% alone doesn't show playmaking creation value 3. AST/TOV ratio shows risk/reward balance of playmaking 4. A player with 30% AST% and 20% TOV% is different from one with 30% AST% and 10% TOV% 5. The ratio helps distinguish efficient facilitators from reckless ones

Section E: Rebounding and Defensive Metrics

Question 21: Minutes factor = (240/5) / 30 = 1.6 ORB opportunities = Team OREB + Opp DREB = 10 + 32 = 42

ORB% = 100 * (4 * 1.6) / 42 = 100 * 6.4 / 42 = 15.2%

Question 22: d) 18-25%. Rodman was extraordinary, often exceeding 18% ORB%.

Question 23: True

Question 24: Sample answer: Important defensive contributions NOT captured by STL% and BLK%: - Contesting shots without blocking them (altered shots) - Forcing opponents into bad shots through positioning - Defensive rotations and help defense - Switching and staying with assignments - Post defense and boxing out - Defensive communication - Closing out on shooters - Forcing turnovers without stealing (deflections leading to teammate steals)

This matters because excellent perimeter defenders may rarely record steals while providing elite defensive value through containment and pressure.

Question 25: b) It measures contribution as a percentage of total game statistics

Scoring

Grade Scale: - A: 61-68 points (90%+) - B: 54-60 points (80-89%) - C: 48-53 points (70-79%) - D: 41-47 points (60-69%) - F: Below 41 points