Numbers Game: Tracking the Raps’ Efficiency, Energy and Hustle

So, the Raptors are good. Very good. We know they are great at scoring, and average defensively. But what precisely do they do well on each end?

There is a common theory popularized by Dean Oliver that there are four factors to basketball success: scoring from the field, scoring from the line, offensive rebounding and taking care of the ball. Those apply on both ends. The common statistics used to represent each are as follows.

Scoring from the field: Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%). This is like regular field goal percentage (FG%, what percentage of field goal attempts are made), except adjusted for the extra value of a three pointer.

Scoring from the line: Free Throw Rate (FTr).…