Chapter 17: Quiz - Team Offensive Efficiency

Instructions

Answer all questions. Each question is worth equal points. For multiple choice questions, select the best answer. For calculation questions, show your work.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1

What is the standard coefficient used for free throw attempts in the possession formula? - A) 0.40 - B) 0.44 - C) 0.48 - D) 0.50

Answer: B) 0.44

Explanation: The 0.44 coefficient accounts for the various free throw situations (two-shot fouls, three-shot fouls, and-ones, technical free throws) that affect how many free throws constitute a new possession.

Question 2

A team has an offensive rating of 112.5. This means: - A) They score 112.5 points per game - B) They score 112.5 points per 100 possessions - C) They score 1.125 points per possession - D) Both B and C are correct

Answer: D) Both B and C are correct

Explanation: Offensive rating is points per 100 possessions (112.5), which is equivalent to 1.125 points per possession.

Question 3

Which play type typically has the highest points per possession in the NBA? - A) Isolation - B) Pick and Roll Ball Handler - C) Transition - D) Cut

Answer: D) Cut

Explanation: Cuts average approximately 1.28 PPP, the highest of any play type, because they typically result in layups or dunks at the rim. Transition is second at approximately 1.12 PPP.

Question 4

The Four Factors framework assigns the highest weight to which factor? - A) Turnover Rate - B) Offensive Rebounding Rate - C) Effective Field Goal Percentage - D) Free Throw Rate

Answer: C) Effective Field Goal Percentage

Explanation: eFG% receives approximately 40% weight in the Four Factors framework, making it the most important single factor in explaining offensive efficiency variance.

Question 5

Ball distribution entropy measures: - A) The speed of ball movement - B) The quality of passes - C) The evenness of touch distribution among players - D) The number of passes per possession

Answer: C) The evenness of touch distribution among players

Explanation: Entropy in this context measures how evenly the ball is distributed. Higher entropy indicates more distributed/egalitarian offense; lower entropy indicates more centralized ball handling.

Question 6

A player with high usage rate typically exhibits: - A) Higher individual offensive rating due to more opportunities - B) Lower individual offensive rating due to diminishing returns - C) No relationship between usage and efficiency - D) Higher offensive rating only if they are an elite player

Answer: B) Lower individual offensive rating due to diminishing returns

Explanation: The usage-efficiency tradeoff means higher usage typically correlates with lower efficiency because players must take increasingly difficult shots as usage increases.

Question 7

What is the primary advantage of transition offense over half-court offense? - A) Better shot selection - B) Defense not set, creating numerical advantages - C) More time to run plays - D) Better rebounding position

Answer: B) Defense not set, creating numerical advantages

Explanation: Transition offense succeeds because the defense hasn't set up, allowing the offense to attack before help defenders are in position, creating 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 advantages.

Question 8

The convex hull area of player positions measures: - A) Average distance between players - B) Total court coverage by the offense - C) The area enclosed by the five players' positions - D) Distance from the basket

Answer: C) The area enclosed by the five players' positions

Explanation: The convex hull is the smallest convex polygon containing all five players' positions. A larger hull area generally indicates better spacing.

Question 9

In a hub-and-spoke offensive network topology: - A) Ball movement is distributed evenly among all players - B) One primary ball handler dominates possession and playmaking - C) Multiple players share playmaking duties equally - D) Post players control the offense

Answer: B) One primary ball handler dominates possession and playmaking

Explanation: Hub-and-spoke topology features a central player (the hub) who controls the ball and distributes to teammates (spokes), resulting in high centrality for the primary ball handler.

Question 10

True Shooting Percentage (TS%) accounts for: - A) Only field goal attempts - B) Field goals and free throws - C) Field goals, free throws, and three-point attempts - D) Only three-point attempts

Answer: B) Field goals and free throws

Explanation: TS% = PTS / (2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)), which incorporates both field goal attempts and free throw attempts to measure overall shooting efficiency.

Question 11

Shot creation value measures: - A) How many shots a player takes - B) The quality of shot opportunities generated relative to league average - C) The conversion rate on shots taken - D) Assists per game

Answer: B) The quality of shot opportunities generated relative to league average

Explanation: Shot creation value compares the expected points from shots generated to the league average, measuring whether a player/team generates above-average shot opportunities.

Question 12

The 2015-17 Golden State Warriors' offense was characterized by: - A) Post-dominant offense with traditional big men - B) Slow pace, half-court isolation - C) Elite three-point shooting, motion offense, and transition excellence - D) Star-driven isolation with minimal ball movement

Answer: C) Elite three-point shooting, motion offense, and transition excellence

Explanation: The Warriors revolutionized offense with their combination of elite shooting (Curry, Thompson), ball movement (67% assisted baskets), and transition play (1.18 PPP).

Question 13

What is the approximate league-average offensive rating in the modern NBA (2020s)? - A) 100-104 - B) 104-108 - C) 110-114 - D) 116-120

Answer: C) 110-114

Explanation: Modern NBA offensive ratings have climbed to the 110-114 range due to the three-point revolution, pace increases, and analytics-driven shot selection.

Question 14

The potential assist rate measures: - A) Assists per game - B) Percentage of passes that lead to shot attempts - C) Percentage of made baskets that were assisted - D) Assist-to-turnover ratio

Answer: B) Percentage of passes that lead to shot attempts

Explanation: Potential assist rate = Passes leading to shots / Total passes. It measures how often a pass creates a shooting opportunity, regardless of whether the shot goes in.

Question 15

Which factor does NOT directly affect the calculation of individual offensive rating? - A) Points scored - B) Assists - C) Defensive rebounds - D) Turnovers

Answer: C) Defensive rebounds

Explanation: Individual offensive rating is calculated from scoring points, assist contributions, and offensive rebounds (not defensive), divided by individual possessions used.

Question 16

A team's Play Type Versatility Index of 105 indicates: - A) They are 5% more efficient than league average across play types - B) They run 5% more play types than average - C) Their weighted play type efficiency is 5% above average - D) They have 105 different plays in their playbook

Answer: C) Their weighted play type efficiency is 5% above average

Explanation: The PTV Index compares team efficiency to league average across play types, weighted by frequency. A score of 105 means 5% above the baseline of 100.

Question 17

The regression factor for three-point shooting percentage is approximately: - A) 50-100 attempts - B) 200-300 attempts - C) 500-750 attempts - D) 1000+ attempts

Answer: B) 200-300 attempts

Explanation: Three-point shooting requires approximately 200-300 attempts to stabilize, meaning that's the sample size needed before observed performance is more reliable than the prior.

Question 18

Floor balance index measures: - A) Offensive vs. defensive rating - B) Home vs. away performance - C) Distribution of players across court zones - D) Transition vs. half-court efficiency

Answer: C) Distribution of players across court zones

Explanation: Floor balance index measures how evenly players distribute across court quadrants, with higher values indicating more balanced positioning.

Question 19

An on-off differential of +8.5 for a player's offensive rating means: - A) The player's individual ORtg is 8.5 points higher than team average - B) The team scores 8.5 more points per 100 possessions with the player on court - C) The player creates 8.5 points per game - D) The team's offensive rating is 8.5 times better with the player

Answer: B) The team scores 8.5 more points per 100 possessions with the player on court

Explanation: On-off differential measures team performance difference between when the player is on versus off the court.

Question 20

Which metric best captures the value of a player who creates open shots for teammates? - A) Points per game - B) Expected assist points - C) True shooting percentage - D) Turnover rate

Answer: B) Expected assist points

Explanation: Expected assist points measure the value created for teammates through passing, accounting for the quality of shots generated rather than just counting assists.

Calculation Questions

Question 21

Calculate the offensive rating for a team with the following game statistics: - Points: 118 - FGA: 92 - FTA: 28 - OREB: 14 - TOV: 12

Answer: Possessions = FGA + 0.44 * FTA - OREB + TOV Possessions = 92 + 0.44 * 28 - 14 + 12 Possessions = 92 + 12.32 - 14 + 12 = 102.32

ORtg = (Points / Possessions) * 100 ORtg = (118 / 102.32) * 100 = 115.3

Question 22

A team's effective field goal percentage is 54.5% on 85 FGA with 11 three-pointers made. How many total field goals did they make?

Answer: eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 * 3PM) / FGA 0.545 = (FGM + 0.5 * 11) / 85 0.545 * 85 = FGM + 5.5 46.325 = FGM + 5.5 FGM = 40.825 (approximately 41 field goals made)

Question 23

Calculate the expected value of the following shot distribution: - 30 rim attempts at 65% probability = 2 points - 20 mid-range attempts at 42% probability = 2 points - 35 three-point attempts at 37% probability = 3 points

Answer: EV(rim) = 30 * 0.65 * 2 = 39 points EV(mid) = 20 * 0.42 * 2 = 16.8 points EV(three) = 35 * 0.37 * 3 = 38.85 points

Total expected points = 39 + 16.8 + 38.85 = 94.65 points on 85 shots Points per shot = 94.65 / 85 = 1.11 points per shot

Question 24

A player has 340 assists on the season. If the average value of an assisted shot is 2.15 points and the player accounts for 35% of the assist value (the rest goes to the scorer), what are the player's assist points produced?

Answer: Total points from assists = 340 * 2.15 = 731 points Player's share = 731 * 0.35 = 255.85 assist points produced

Question 25

Calculate passes per possession and ball movement efficiency for a team with: - Total passes: 312 per game - Possessions: 104 per game - Average touch time: 3.1 seconds - Potential assist rate: 27% - Assist conversion: 48%

Answer: Passes per possession = 312 / 104 = 3.0 passes per possession

Ball Movement Efficiency Score (using equal 0.25 weights): - PPP normalized = 3.0 / 5 = 0.6 (assuming 5 is excellent) - Touch time normalized = 1 - (3.1 / 4) = 0.225 - PAR normalized = 0.27 / 0.30 = 0.9 - ACR normalized = 0.48 / 0.60 = 0.8

BMES = 0.25 * (0.6 + 0.225 + 0.9 + 0.8) * 100 = 63.1

True/False Questions

Question 26

TRUE or FALSE: A team can have a high offensive rating even if they score fewer total points than their opponent in a game.

Answer: TRUE

Explanation: Offensive rating is per 100 possessions. A team that plays slow and scores 95 points on 85 possessions (111.8 ORtg) is more efficient than a team that scores 100 points on 95 possessions (105.3 ORtg).

Question 27

TRUE or FALSE: The frequency-efficiency tradeoff means teams should always maximize their most efficient play type.

Answer: FALSE

Explanation: The most efficient plays (cuts, transition) cannot be run at will - they depend on defensive breakdowns and game flow. Controllable plays like pick-and-roll and isolation are less efficient but more available.

Question 28

TRUE or FALSE: Higher network density in a passing network always indicates better offensive performance.

Answer: FALSE

Explanation: Network density measures connectivity, not effectiveness. A well-connected network is not necessarily more efficient than a hub-based system with elite playmakers.

Question 29

TRUE or FALSE: Three-point gravity refers to the spacing effect created by having shooters who draw defensive attention beyond the arc.

Answer: TRUE

Explanation: Three-point gravity measures how much defensive attention is pulled toward three-point threats, creating driving lanes and post opportunities for other players.

Question 30

TRUE or FALSE: Offensive rebounding rate should be calculated as OREB / (OREB + Opponent DREB).

Answer: TRUE

Explanation: OREB% measures what percentage of available offensive rebounds (total missed shots that remain in play) the team secures, requiring comparison to opponent defensive rebounds.