Points Produced

Points produced is an advanced statistical metric that attempts to quantify the total offensive contribution a player makes by accounting for both points scored directly and points created through assists, providing a more comprehensive measure of offensive impact than simple points per game averages. This analytical framework recognizes that basketball offense is collaborative and that players who facilitate scoring opportunities for teammates through passing contribute to team scoring just as meaningfully as players who score directly through their own shooting. The calculation of points produced typically involves adding a player's total points scored to a portion of the points scored by teammates off that player's assists, with various statistical systems using different formulas to determine exactly how to credit the assisting player. The most common approach credits the assisting player with two points for each assist on a two-point field goal and three points for each assist on a three-point field goal, then adds these assisted points to the player's own scoring to generate total points produced. This metric provides valuable context for evaluating point guards and facilitators whose scoring averages may not fully reflect their offensive importance, as elite passers can produce significantly more total points than their personal scoring suggests. The development of points produced metrics emerged from basketball analytics pioneers who recognized that traditional scoring statistics undervalue playmakers and create misleading comparisons between scorers and passers. For example, a player who averages 15 points and 10 assists per game might produce approximately 35-40 total points when accounting for the points created through assists, revealing an offensive impact comparable to a player scoring 30 points per game with minimal assists. The metric has limitations including the assumption that assisted baskets are entirely due to the passer's contribution rather than the scorer's ability to create space and finish shots, the inability to account for hockey assists or secondary passing that creates shooting opportunities, and the challenge of properly crediting points on plays where multiple players contributed through screening, spacing, or ball movement. Advanced versions of points produced attempt to refine the metric by adjusting for the difficulty of assists, the quality of teammates being assisted, and the offensive context in which the assists occur. The application of points produced statistics helps identify undervalued players whose assist numbers indicate significant offensive contributions that traditional scoring statistics miss, informing personnel decisions in player acquisition, contract negotiations, and lineup construction. The comparison of points produced across different eras of basketball requires adjustment for pace and offensive efficiency, as players in high-pace, high-scoring eras will naturally produce more total points than players in slower, defensive-focused periods. The metric is particularly useful for evaluating versatile offensive players who contribute through multiple means including scoring, passing, and offensive rebounding, providing a more holistic view of their offensive value. The relationship between points produced and team offensive success is generally positive, as players who generate high points produced totals through combinations of scoring and assisting tend to anchor effective offensive systems. The coaching implications of points produced metrics include recognizing that developing playmaking skills in scorers and scoring skills in playmakers can significantly increase a player's total offensive value beyond what specialization in one area would produce. The statistical correlation between points produced and plus-minus statistics helps validate the metric, as players with high points produced totals generally show positive impacts on team performance when they're on the court. The individual player development focus on points produced encourages well-rounded offensive skill development rather than narrow specialization, promoting player versatility that has become increasingly valuable in modern basketball. The evaluation of draft prospects using points produced metrics helps identify college players whose assist numbers suggest they'll contribute more offensively in the NBA than their scoring averages alone indicate, though adjustments must be made for differences in talent level between college and professional basketball. The media discussion of player offensive contributions has gradually incorporated points produced concepts, with analysts and commentators increasingly referencing both scoring and points created through assists when evaluating offensive performance. The comparison of points produced per minute or per possession provides pace-adjusted metrics that better account for differences in playing time and team tempo, allowing more accurate comparisons across different contexts. The limitations of crediting assists with full point values become apparent in situations where the assisted player creates most of the scoring value through individual skill, suggesting that partial credit or context-adjusted credit might be more appropriate. The extension of points produced logic to include charges drawn, offensive rebounds created, and other offensive contributions has led to even more comprehensive metrics attempting to capture total offensive value. The front office utilization of points produced data in contract negotiations and player evaluations reflects the metric's acceptance as a meaningful supplement to traditional scoring statistics, though most organizations combine it with numerous other metrics rather than relying on it exclusively. The coaching staff use of points produced in player development conversations can motivate players to develop more well-rounded offensive games, showing them how improving their passing or scoring can significantly increase their total offensive contribution. The historical analysis using points produced metrics has led to reassessment of certain players' careers, particularly point guards whose high assist totals produced significant point contributions that raw scoring averages underrepresented. The academic research on basketball analytics has examined points produced as a case study in how to properly attribute credit in collaborative sporting environments where individual and team contributions are intertwined.