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Scoring ability in the NBA is most often discussed by looking at who is among the league leaders in points per game.
The assumption that players who score the most must be the best scorers makes sense on the surface, but that method of evaluation does nothing to discriminate between efficient scorers and those who simply have a high-usage role. Looking at raw points per game is also an improper way to compare scoring ability across eras.
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Put another way – players who score a lot simply because they shoot a lot aren’t the most effective scorers in the league.
Using FTN’s new NBA StatsHub, we can identify underrated scorers and potential breakout stars by looking at Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation.
Explaining Field Goal Percentage Over Expectation
FGOE measures how much better or worse a player’s field goal percentage is compared to league expectation after adjusting for shot location, shot value, and the quality of the defensive contest on the field goal attempt.
In more digestible language, FGOE isolates pure shot-making skill by accounting for more than simply whether or not the ball went in the basket.
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Unlike field goal% or true shooting%, FGOE:
Adjusts for shot difficulty
Removes free throws from the equation
Accounts for the quality of the defense on the shot attempt
A player who has a high FGOE is making a higher rate of similar shot types than his peers.
Removing Volume Privilege
Not all high-volume scorers have their numbers inflated simply based on opportunity. Nikola Jokić (+12.6% FGOE), Kevin Durant (+8.9%) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+8.1%) are widely regarded as some of the league’s best scorers, and for good reason. Their teams trust them to take a lot of shots, in large part, because of how skilled they are at making them.
Yet, they are not the only players who deserve to be held in high regard for their shot-making ability.
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NBA StatsHub has a filter function that allows us to look exclusively at players in smaller roles, who are quietly delivering impressive results over expectation for their respective teams.
Lower Shot Volume (FGA) + High Field Goal…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/identifying-nba-most-underrated-scorers-190613006.html
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Publish date : 2026-01-23 19:06:00
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