There seems to be a large misunderstanding about what certain types of stats are… and are not. And there certainly are a fair share of people who think it’s their way… or the highway.

Now, before I go much further, let me say: I do understand that stats are primarily taken by a few student workers for the sports information offices on college campuses. I understand that they may not be completely up to date on the nuances of stat taking. And I understand that sometimes giving certain stats is something of an opinion on certain plays.

Now, I have been to my fair share of games and in many arenas; I have sat next to my fair share of “stat takers”; and I have worked in a sports information office for several years, so I have gotten very familiar with how stats should be given… or not given. And I am tired of those who simply don’t know how to take accurate stats… even with the new high-tech automated computer programs that pretty much keep up with the pace of play.

My pet-peeves when it comes to stats: assists, turnovers, and steals. It seems no one completely understands what some of these are.

For example, at one game I overheard one group of sports information employees as they kept stats for a game on computer. They kept having an argument about what an assist was, if it was a turnover, who got the steal, and who the rebound went to… it almost drove me out of my mind.

Picture the scene. There is one guy punching away at a computer, so he isn’t really watching the game… he “trusts” the two others to call out the game. The guy on his right seems to have a very good idea how to call the game and call out the right stats. The guy on the left… CLUELESS!!!

He never thought there as an assist on ANY made basket.
He sometimes would give the guy trying to receive a horrible pass… the turnover.
And he kept crediting the steal to the guy who ended up with the ball.

This resulted in the competent one on the right, trying to correct mistakes all night long. It led to fixing mistakes during timeout. (They got most of the mistakes and I wasn’t too disappointed in the final numbers).

It was killing me! This one guy simply didn’t know what he was talking about and upon talking with the other two guys later… he seemed to refuse to learn!

So, I am going to go through these pet-peeves of mine and maybe wake some people up out there.

Assists – By definition: A player is credited with an assist when the player makes the principal pass contributing directly to a field goal. Such a pass should be either (a) a pass that finds a player free after he or she has maneuvered without the ball for a positional advantage, or (b) a pass that gives the receiving player a positional advantage he or she otherwise would not have had.

Ok… this can sometimes be tough, I know. But, if a player is passed the ball and he or she immediately shoots and scores… you better give an assist.
On a break-a-way… and the shooter gets the ball and doesn’t take more than a couple of dribbles or make a move to get around a defender… there better be an assist coming.
And on an alley-oop… you better not even try and argue with me there wasn’t an assist on that play.

Now, here are some assists that are given… that clearly should not.
The pass goes inside to the post-player. He or she then hesitates, fakes a move to the inside before spinning to the baseline, shoots, and scores. I don’t care what argument you try and make… no assist.
Another situation: long outlet pass up the court, the player starts to dribble and drives to the lane. But, before shooting, the played has to go for the reverse lay-up to avoid the defender. Forget about an assist.
And finally, the pass is tipped a couple of times before getting to a player who shoots and scores… good luck convincing me the passer meant to have it go off three hands before arriving in a teammates hands.

In almost all of these situations, the eventual shooter had to do something to create their shot (in the final one, its amazing the ball got to them through traffic). If a shooter is the one creating the opportunity to shot… then there was no actual assist from someone else.

Turnovers – By definition: The purpose of a turnover is to reflect statistically the times in which a team was given the ball and should have gotten some kind of shot but, before it could get any kind of shot, made some type of mistake that turned the ball over to the opponent.
Sounds simple… but many people get confused who to give the turnover to.
It’s quite simple… the one that messed up!

If I have the ball and I lose it… I should be charged with the turnover. Simple, right?

Apparently not… and it really drives me nuts.

If I am passing the ball to my post-player, and I throw the ball in a place he or she has to make an effort to reach for it and the defender takes it or deflects to a teammate: I should be charged with the turnover, not the player trying to receive the ball. I am the one responsible to get it to him safely. There are some who want to blame the receiving party… but he or she can’t be held responsible for my bad pass.

Steals – By definition: A steal is credited to a player when the player’s positive, aggressive action(s), which includes contact with the ball, causes a turnover by an opponent.

The guy I described above never got this right.

Imagine the following scenario:
The offensive player is dribbling the ball on the wing, inside the three-point line, and with his back to the baseline. His defender is able to hit the ball from behind – CLEANLY – and the ball flies loose… ending up in the hands of another defender. Do you know how many times I have heard people give the steal to the defender who ended up with the ball? Let me ask a simple question: who caused the ball to end up in that defender’s hands? The original defender… so thus, he or she deserves the steal!

Assists, turnovers, and steals are either inflated or not given enough. I just don’t get how there can be people who think everything is an assist or steal… or the opposite; thinking nothing is an assist or steal.

Yes, they happen.
No, they don’t happen on every play.

Yes, you should give credit where credit it due.
No, don’t just add an assist or steal… because it looks good.

No statistician is going to give a player a basket just because they were on the court. So why should they be giving steals and assists away as if they were candy.

These are hard earned statistics and for those people out there who inflate or don’t give enough, you are only cheating the game and the players.