NBA 2022-23 3-week Power Rankings

 

NBA 2022-23 3-week Power Rankings

“Conditional” league-wide Performance (wins & losses)

Home-court Advantage:  95 – 63, .601

more successful 3FG’s:  102 – 36, .739 [20 games equal]

fewer unsuccessful FT’s:  68 – 74, .479 [16 games equal]

superior “Striping”:  95 – 52, .646 [11 games equal]

 

 

Power Rankings

No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers, 8-2 (8.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 15]

 

KK:  +4; (4 Road Wins – Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  +3.10; (53.8 stops OF opp [No. 5] – 50.7 stops BY opp [No. 11] / No. 3 overall

Striping:  +1.65; (+4.35) conversions [No. 7] - (+2.70) opp conversions [No. 4] / No. 3 overall

SPOR-t:  +83; (586 [No. 9] – 503 [No. 1]) / No. 1 overall

Abacus Revelation: The surprising Vavs rank Top Ten in both scoring and points allowed.

 

No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks, 9-1 (25)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 8]

 

KK:  +2; (2 Road Wins – 0 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied-5)

Flow:  +3.00; (55.4 stops OF opp [No. 2] – 52.4 stops BY opp [No. 19] / No. 4 overall

Striping:  +0.45; (+3.60) conversions [No. 13] - (+3.15) opp conversions [No. 8] / No. 11 overall

SPOR-t:  +77; (584 [No. 10] – 507 [No. 2]) / No. 3 overall

Abacus Revelation: Milwaukee’s defense allows the fewest ppg (102.7) in the NBA.

 

No. 3 Denver Nuggets, 7-3 (26.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 12]

 

KK:  +3; (3 Road Wins – 0 Home Losses) / No. 3 overall (tied)

Flow:  +1.80; (50.8 stops OF opp [No. 21] – 49.0 stops BY opp [No. 4] / No. 10 overall

Striping:  +0.95; (+3.75) conversions [No. 10] - (+2.80) opp conversions [No. 5] / No. 7 overall

SPOR-t:  +47; (609 [No. 4] – 562 [No. 9]) / No. 6 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Nuggets are the only team making more than half (.502) their FGA’s

 

No. 4 Phoenix Suns, 7-3 (29.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 1]

 

KK:  0; (1 Road Win – 1 Home Loss) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +3.60; (52.5 stops OF opp [No. 10] – 48.9 stops BY opp [No. 2] / No. 1 overall

Striping:  +0.80; (+3.60) conversions [No. 13] - (+2.80) opp conversions [No. 5] / No. 9 overall

SPOR-t:  +49; (597 [No. 8] – 548 [No. 6]) / No. 5 overall

Abacus Revelation: Phoenix stands third in FG defense (.438).

 

No. 5 Utah Jazz, 9-3 (35.5)

[2021-22 Abacus Rank: No. 5]

 

KK:  +4; (4 Road Wins – 0 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  -0.42; (51.7 stops OF opp [No. 14] – 52.1 stops BY opp [No. 17] / No. 21 overall

Striping:  +3.17; (+5.00) conversions [No. 4] - (+1.83) opp conversions [No. 1] / No. 1 overall

SPOR-t:  +9; (615 [No. 3] – 606 [No. 27]) / No. 12 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Jazz rank No. 1 in defending the three-ball (.326).

 

No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans, 5-5 (41)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 19]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-5)

Flow:  +3.20; (53.3 stops OF opp [No. 7] – 50.1 stops BY opp [No. 8] / No. 2 overall

Striping:  -1.35; (+2.80) conversions [No. 24] - (+4.15) opp conversions [No. 26] / No. 28 overall

SPOR-t:  +75; (646 [No. 1] – 571 [No. 17]) / No. 4 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Pelicans are the NBA’s highest-scoring squad, 118.5 ppg.

 

No. 7 Toronto Raptors, 6-5 (42.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 10]

 

KK:  +1; (2 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 10 overall (tied)

Flow:  +2.09; (51.6 stops OF opp [No. 19] – 49.5 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 9 overall

Striping:  -0.77; (+3.36 conversions [No. 16] - (+4.14) opp conversions [No. 24] / No. 21 overall

SPOR-t:  +79; (605 [No. 5] – 526 [No. 3) / No. 2 overall

Abacus Revelation: Toronto ranks in the Top Three in both forcing TO’s and avoiding them.

 

No. 8 Chicago Bulls, 6-6 (45.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 18]

 

KK:  0; (2 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +2.25; (53.7 stops OF opp [No. 6] – 51.4 stops BY opp [No. 14] / No. 8 overall

Striping:  -0.25; (+3.67) conversions [No. 12] - (+3.92) opp conversions [No. 21] / No. 16 overall

SPOR-t:  +39; (568 [No. 18] – 529 [No. 4]) / No. 7 overall

Abacus Revelation: Chicago is Top 10 in making treys but Bottom 10 in taking them ???

 

No. 9 Atlanta Hawks, 7-3 (47)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 13]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-5)

Flow:  +0.40; (52.1 stops OF opp [No. 12] – 51.7 stops BY opp [No. 15] / No. 17 overall

Striping:  +1.10; (+3.30) conversions [No. 18] - (+2.20) opp conversions [No. 2] / No. 6 overall

SPOR-t:  +2; (601 [No. 7] – 599 [No. 26]) / No. 17 overall

Abacus Revelation: The hawks rank No. 1 in TO% (.105).

 

No. 10 Memphis Grizzlies, 7-4 (48)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 6]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-5)

Flow:  +0.64; (51.4 stops OF opp [No. 20] – 50.7 stops BY opp [No. 12] / No. 15 overall

Striping:  -0.55; (+3.18) conversions [No. 19] - (+3.73) opp conversions [No. 18] / No. 18 overall

SPOR-t:  +34; (629 [No. 2] – 595 [No. 24]) / No. 8 overall

Abacus Revelation: The athletic Griz are the league’s No. 2 team in OR% at .286.

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 1)

Which teams are performing the rudimentary skills of the game most proficiently at both ends of the floor? Let’s consider six elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, Points per Game, Offensive Rebounding, the matter of turnovers and the SPOR-t score of our ratings. These teams hold a Top Ten rank offensively and defensively:

FG%: Brooklyn, Cleveland, LA Clippers

3FG%: Philadelphia, New Orleans

PPG: Cleveland

OR%: Toronto, Indiana, Milwaukee

TO%: Toronto, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix

SPOR-t: Toronto, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Phoenix

 

No. 11 Boston Celtics, 7-3 (49.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 3]

 

KK:  +3; (4 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 3 overall (tied)

Flow:  -0.10; (50.7 stops OF opp [No. 22] – 50.8 stops BY opp [No. 13] / No. 18 overall

Striping:  +2.45; (+6.05) conversions [No. 1] - (+3.60) opp conversions [No. 17] / No. 2 overall

SPOR-t:  -50; (535 [No. 25] – 585 [No. 19]) / No. 26 overall

Abacus Revelation: The C’s average over 40 3FGA’s per game, 47% of their shots.

 

No. 12 Portland Trail Blazers, 7-3 (51)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 26]

 

KK:  +2; (4 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied-5)

Flow:  +1.60; (52.1 stops OF opp [No. 11] – 50.5 stops BY opp [No. 9] / No. 11 overall

Striping:  -1.05; (+3.05) conversions [No. 21] - (+4.10) opp conversions [No. 23] / No. 23 overall

SPOR-t:  +16; (575 [No. 15] – 559 [No. 7]) / No. 10 overall

Abacus Revelation: Portland ranks No 3 in 3FG accuracy (.395).

 

No. 13 New York Knicks, 5-5 (55)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 16]

 

KK:  0; (2 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +2.30; (54.7 stops OF opp [No. 3] – 52.4 stops BY opp [No. 18] / No. 7 overall

Striping:  -1.10; (+33.5) conversions [No. 17] - (+4.45) opp conversions [No. 28] / No. 24 overall (tied)

SPOR-t:  +22; (604 [No. 6] – 582 [No. 18]) / No. 9 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Knicks rank No. 2 in FG defense and No. 10 in 3FG defense.

 

No. 14 Dallas Mavericks, 6-3 (59.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 7]

 

KK:  0; (1 Road Win – 1 Home Loss) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +0.67; (49.0 stops OF opp [No. 27] – 48.3 stops BY opp [No. 1] / No. 14 overall

Striping:  +0.39; (+3.00) conversions [No. 22] - (+2.61) opp conversions [No. 3] / No. 13 overall

SPOR-t:  -7; (584 [No. 10] – 591 [No. 23]) / No. 18 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Mavs attempt five more FT’s per game than opponents, No.2 league-wide.

 

No. 15 Indiana Pacers, 5-5 (68.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 22]

 

KK:  0; (2 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -4.20; (50.2 stops OF opp [No. 24] – 54.4 stops BY opp [No. 27] / No. 28 overall

Striping:  +0.40; (+5.25) conversions [No. 2] - (+4.85) opp conversions [No. 30] / No. 12 overall

SPOR-t:  +6; (574 [No. 16] – 568 [No. 13]) / No. 14 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Pacers are Top Ten in both taking and making 3FG’s.

 

No. 15 Philadelphia 76ers, 5-6 (68.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 11]

 

KK:  -1; (3 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -0.82; (48.6 stops OF opp [No. 29] – 49.5 stops BY opp [No. 5] / No. 22 overall

Striping:  +1.36; (+5.00) conversions [No. 6] - (+3.50) opp conversions [No. 10] / No. 5 overall

SPOR-t:  -32; (532 [No. 26] – 564 [No. 11]) / No. 21 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Sixers rank fourth in both making and defending three-point shots.

 

No. 17 Brooklyn Nets, 4-7 (69.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 14]

 

KK:  -2; (2 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 24 overall (tied)

Flow:  +2.55; (51.5 stops OF opp [No. 20] – 48.9 stops BY opp [No. 3] / No. 5 overall

Striping:  -0.36; (+3.50) conversions [No. 15] - (+3.86) opp conversions [No. 19] / No. 17 overall

SPOR-t:  -35; (560 [No. 22] – 595 [No. 24]) / No. 23 overall

Abacus Revelation: The soap-opera Nets do stand No. 7 in both FG% (.476) and FG “D” (.450).

 

No. 17 Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-6 (69.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 29]

 

KK:  -1; (1 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +0.50; (54.0 stops OF opp [No. 4] – 53.5 stops BY opp [No. 23] / No. 16 overall

Striping:  -0.65; (+2.65) conversions [No. 26] - (+3.30) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 20 overall

SPOR-t:  +7; (577 [No. 14] – 570 [No. 16]) / No. 13 overall

Abacus Revelation: OKC ranks second in both forcing TO’s (.156) and protecting the ball (.106).

 

No. 19 Washington Wizards, 5-6 (71.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 23]

 

KK:  0; (3 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  +0.91; (50.7 stops OF opp [No. 23] – 49.8 stops BY opp [No. 7] / No. 13 overall

Striping:  -2.00; (+2.14) conversions [No. 29] - (+4.14) opp conversions [No. 24] / No. 29 overall

SPOR-t: +5; (566 [No. 20] – 561 [No. 8]) / No. 15 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Wizards rank No. 28 in both making and defending 3FG’s … Ouch!

 

No. 20 Golden State Warriors, 4-7 (73.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 2]

 

KK:  -1; (0 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -2.82; (51.7 stops OF opp [No. 13] – 54.5 stops BY opp [No. 28] / No. 24 overall

Striping:  +1.55; (+5.14) conversions [No. 3] - (+3.59) opp conversions [No. 15] / No. 4 overall

SPOR-t:  -43; (551 [No. 23] – 594 [No. 23]) / No. 25 overall

Abacus Revelation: Uncharacteristically, the Dubs stand No. 16 in 3FG accuracy, .359.

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 2)

Are not the exceptionally inept worthy of some recognition? Here are the teams that hold a Bottom Ten offensive and defensive ranking in our key elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, PPG, Offensive Rebounding, Turnovers and SPOR-t.

FG%: Toronto, Indiana, Miami, Houston

3FG%: Orlando, Washington, Minnesota

PPG: Detroit, Houston, LA Lakers

OR%: Brooklyn, Atlanta

TO%: Orlando, LA Clippers

SPOR-t: Brooklyn, San Antonio, Golden State

 

No. 21 Minnesota Timberwolves, 5-6 (76.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 9]

 

KK:  -3; (1 Road Win – 4 Home Losses) / No. 26 overall (tied-4)

Flow:  +2.45; (55.7 stops OF opp [No. 1] – 53.1 stops BY opp [No. 21] / No. 6 overall

Striping:  -1.32; (+3.09) conversions [No. 20] - (+4.41) opp conversions [No. 27] / No. 27 overall

SPOR-t:  +4; (572 [No. 17] – 568 [No. 13]) / No. 16 overall

Abacus Revelation: The T’wolves are in the bottom 10 in both making and defending the 3-ball.

 

No. 22 Sacramento Kings, 3-6 (78.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 28]

 

KK:  -1; (2 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -3.11; (50.0 stops OF opp [No. 26] – 53.1 stops BY opp [No. 22] / No. 26 overall

Striping:  +0.94; (+4.11) conversions [No. 8] - (+3.17) opp conversions [No. 9] / No. 8 overall

SPOR-t:  -38; (526 [No. 28] – 564 [No. 11]) / No. 24 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Kings are No. 2 in the league in Defensive Rebounding (.809).

 

No. 23 Miami Heat, 4-7 (80.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 4]

 

KK:  -3; (1 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 26 overall (tied-4)

Flow:  -0.27; (51.7 stops OF opp [No. 15] – 52.0 stops BY opp [No. 16] / No. 19 overall

Striping:  -0.18; (+4.59) conversions [No. 5] - (+4.77) opp conversions [No. 29] / No. 15 overall

SPOR-t:  -11; (528 [No. 27] – 539 [No. 5]) / No. 19 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Heat rank No. 3 in forcing TO’s (.153).

 

No. 23 Orlando Magic, 2-9 (80.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 27]

 

KK:  -3; (0 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 26 overall (tied-4)

Flow:  +1.09; (51.7 stops OF opp [No. 15] – 50.6 stops BY opp [No. 10] / No. 12 overall

Striping:  -2.05; (+2.05) conversions [No. 30] - (+4.09) opp conversions [No. 22] / No. 30 overall

SPOR-t:  +13; (581 [No. 13] – 568 [No. 13]) / No. 11 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Magic own the league’s fourth best FG% (.478).

 

No. 25 Houston Rockets, 2-9 (82.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 30]

 

KK:  -1; (1 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -6.00; (48.7 stops OF opp [No. 28] – 54.7 stops BY opp [No. 29] / No. 30 overall

Striping:  +0.55; (+3.73) conversions [No. 11] - (+3.18) opp conversions [No. 10] / No. 10 overall

SPOR-t:  -34; (583 [No. 12] – 617 [No. 28]) / No. 22 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Rockets are the top Offensive Rebounders (.296) in the league.

 

No. 26 Los Angeles Clippers, 6-5 (83.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 20]

 

KK:  +1; (4 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall (tied)

Flow:  -0.36; (52.6 stops OF opp [No. 9] – 52.3 stops BY opp [No. 18] / No. 20 overall

Striping:  -1.14; (+2.73) conversions [No. 25] - (+3.86) opp conversions [No. 19] / No. 26 overall

SPOR-t:  -62; (500 [No. 30] – 562 [No. 9]) / No. 27 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Clippers rank dead last in per-game scoring (103.8).

 

No. 27 San Antonio Spurs, 5-6 (89.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 21]

 

KK:  -1; (3 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 18 overall (tied-6)

Flow:  -4.18; (50.1 stops OF opp [No. 25] – 54.3 stops BY opp [No. 25] / No. 27 overall

Striping:  +0.27; (+3.86) conversions [No. 9] - (+3.59) opp conversions [No. 15] / No. 14 overall

SPOR-t:  -63; (561 [No. 21] – 624 [No. 29]) / No. 28 overall

Abacus Revelation: Pop’s Spurs play at the league’s fastest Pace, 103.

 

No. 27 Charlotte Hornets, 3-8 (89.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 17]

 

KK:  -2; (2 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 24 overall (tied)

Flow:  -2.00; (52.4 stops OF opp [No. 11] – 54.4 stops BY opp [No. 26] / No. 23 overall

Striping:  -0.91; (+2.18) conversions [No. 28] - (+3.09) opp conversions [No. 7] / No. 22 overall

SPOR-t:  -22; (567 [No. 19] – 589 [No. 21]) / No. 20 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Hornets miss almost six-and-a-half FT’s per game (No. 28).

 

No. 29 Detroit Pistons, 3-8 (105.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 25]

 

KK:  -3; (0 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 26 overall (tied-4)

Flow:  -5.36; (48.6 stops OF opp [No. 29] – 54.0 stops BY opp [No. 24] / No. 29 overall

Striping:  -0.59; (+2.82) conversions [No. 23] - (+3.41) opp conversions [No. 14] / No. 19 overall

SPOR-t:  -100; (544 [No. 24] – 644 [No. 30]) / No. 30 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Pistons rank No. 8 in defending the three-ball (.343).

 

No. 30 Los Angeles Lakers, 2-8 (108.5)

[2022-23 Abacus Rank: No. 24]

 

KK:  -4; (0 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 30 overall

Flow:  -3.10; (52.8 stops OF opp [No. 8] – 55.9 stops BY opp [No. 30] / No. 25 overall

Striping:  -1.10; (+2.20) conversions [No. 27] - (+3.30) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 24 overall (tied)

SPOR-t:  -74; (514 [No. 29] – 588 [No. 20]) / No. 29 overall

Abacus Revelation: Despite their struggles, the Lakers are playing at the second-fastest Pace (102.9).

The Grading Scale

“Flow”: this calculation puts a number to a team’s unsuccessful possessions (i.e. the other guys’ “stops”). Just take their missed field goals (attempts minus makes), subtract the offensive rebounds, and then add the turnovers. The “scores” represent per-game performance.

“Striping”: this calculation measures the impact of missed free throws and made treys. By subtracting the former from the latter [3’s minus missed FT’s], we identify a team’s gain or loss in points through “specialty shooting.” Again the “scores” are per-game. (A further division by two converts “points” to “conversions” – thus they can be combined with the “Flow” score.)

KK: Karl Kount – named for George Karl – is a way to measure a team’s grit and savvy through its ability to defend its home court and win on the road, a simple calculation for generally reliable info.

 “SPOR-t”: SPOR-t stands for “Shooting Plus Offensive Rebounds minus turnovers.” Add a team’s FG percentage and its offensive rebounding percentage (o. boards divided by the sum of those o. boards and the opposition's d. boards). Then subtract the percentage of a team’s possessions lost to turnovers. For example, a team shoots field goals at a .488 clip, offensive rebounds at a rate of .199, and commits a turnover on .143 of its possessions. So its SPOR-t is (488+199-143) or 544. Once again, our measurement will be the difference between the SPOR-t scores of a team and its opposition.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

We’ll rank the teams from 1 to 30 in all criteria and simply add up the rankings. Low score wins, naturally. 

Winning By the Numbers

Unless my old brain is playing tricks with me again, I do believe that, in the sport of soccer, teams will frequently play two games (home-and-home) with victory/advancement determined by the most cumulative goals … a two-game series with a “running” score, so to say.

Alas, total points and running score mean nothing when it comes to a pro basketball playoff series – so three wins in four games out-weighs an overall 5-point (306-311) deficit in series scoring, and Becky Hammon’s Las Vegas Aces are the WNBA’s 26^th champion.

Here’s a question for a serious hoop fan: At the most elite levels of play, what exactly distinguishes the “winning” team from the “losing” team?

In other words, what measurable component(s) of play most impact(s) the outcome? Is the young Pat Riley’s old "No Rebounds, No Rings" admonition to his Showtime Lakers-in-training the key ingredient of victory … or maybe this is simply a “Make-or-Miss” sport controlled by the team with a superior shooting rhythm in a given “moment” … perhaps the officials are a factor, with one side holding a lop-sided edge in trips to the foul line (i.e. “FT Conversions”) and/or total FT attempts … and how 'bout those pesky Turnovers?

The composite numbers from the Aces-Sun Final lend some credence to the “Make-or-Miss” theory – take a look!

2022 WNBA Finals (4 games)

Winning Team  /  Losing Team

Points: 335 (83.8)  /  282 (70.5)

Possessions 303 (75.8)  /  300 (75.0)

Conversions: 156 (.515)  /  134 (.447)

FG: 128-263 (.487)  / 108-261 (.414)

3FG: 29-91 (.319) [.346]  / 25-69 (.362) [.264]

FT: 50-63 (.794) [28]  / 41-59 (.695) [26]

OR: 22 (+8 Team) [.182]  / 31 (+7 Team) [.215]

DR: 115 (+10 Team)  /  99 (+10 Team)

TO: 38 (+4 Team) [.126]  /  44 (+7 Team) [.151]

The winning team recorded 20 more successful FG’s (four more 3FG’s), providing 11 points to the 13+ average margin of victory for the series – the losers (though committing two more Turnovers per game) out-performed their conquerors on the Offensive “glass” (38-30, as well as by percentage).

The numbers are quite similar when we look at the full 23-game slate for the ’22 post-season: winners +5 per game on successful FG’s and about -2 on per-game TO’s while the FT’s and O-boards remain relatively even.

It’s still a Make-or-Miss” game, even at the charity stripe – here are all the “gory” details.

 

2022 WNBA Playoffs (23 games)

Winning Team  /  Losing Team

Points: 2023 (88.0)  /  1713 (74.5)

Possessions 1784 (77.6)  /  1786 (77.7)

Conversions: 926 (.519)  /  800 (.448)

FG: 767-1593 (.481)  /  644-1545 (.417)

3FG: 184-495 (.372) [.311]  /  153-471 (.325) [.305]

FT: 305-372 (.820) [159]  /  272-365 (.745) [156]

OR: 171 (+50 Team) [.227]  /  162 (+52 Team) [.193]

DR: 678 (+54 Team)  /  583 (+51 Team)

TO: 235 (+18 Team) [.126]  /  274 (+25 Team) [.149]

I decided to trace this pattern back over the past four seasons, limiting the analysis to the last four WNBA Finals series, 16 total games.

Winners still made about 5 more shots per game (a couple of more FT’s and 3FG’s, as well) and committed 2 or 3 fewer miscues with the ball, while playing the runners-up to a stalemate Offensive Rebounding-wise.

2019-22 WNBA Finals (16 games)

Winning Team  /  Losing Team

Points: 1439 (89.9)  /  1217 (76.1)

Possessions 1246 (77.9)  /  1246 (77.9)

Conversions: 660 (.530)  /  564 (.453)

FG: 548-1114 (.492)  /  469-1099 (.427)

3FG: 134-363 (.369) [.326]  /  105-296 (.355) [.269]

FT: 209-251 (.833) [112]  /  174-220 (.791) [95]

OR: 117 (+41 Team) [.235]  /  134 (+37 Team) [.233]

DR: 440 (+35 Team)   /  381 (+31 Team)

TO: 162 (+16 Team) [.127]  /  202 (+21 Team) [.157]

Just for the sake of comparison, let’s take a peek at the Winner/Loser breakdown of the last four NBA Final series – the distribution of data is quite similar. Have a look.

 

2019-22 NBA Finals (24 games)

Winning Team  /  Losing Team

Points: 2699 (112.5)  /  2452 (102.2)

Possessions 2280 (95.0)  /   2285 (95.2)

Conversions: 1197 (.525)  /   1107 (.484)

FG: 974-2066 (.471)  /  882-1982 (.445)

3FG: 332-874 (.380) [.423]  /  279-782 (.357) [.395]

FT: 419-506 (.828) [223]  /  409-524 (.781) [225]

OR: 232 (+78 Team) [.235]  /  225 (+62 Team) [.221]

DR: 775 (+43 Team)  /  583 (+52 Team)

TO: 285 (+16 Team) [.116]  /  344 (+21 Team) [.142]

The ultimate champion recorded four more successful FG’s per game, two or three of them treys; FT opportunities and O-boards were relatively even; the losers tended to be a little more careless with the ball.

WNBA 2022 thru eight weeks – the Sky’s the Limit!

 

The defending champion Chicago Sky were decidedly “middle-of-the-road” (5 – 3, No.7 rank) during the season’s opening month before finding their “stride” and notching nine victories in 11 tries over the next four weeks, including road wins over rivals Connecticut and Las Vegas … shooting a league-best .496 from the floor and .413 on three-balls.

Rumors abound that home-town-girl Candace Parker will join Seattle’s Sue Bird (who’s already conducting her “exit tour” through the league) in retirement at the close to this campaign – would it not be fitting to see these two “class acts” meet in this season’s Finals, giving us yet another chapter in the UConn – Tennessee rivalry that has so shaped and elevated Women’s Hoops through the years?

While the “W” has not adopted the 3FG to the extent to which the NBA has – better than two of every five FGA’s was a trey in the NBA this past season – thise season’s data does suggest that behind-the-arc proficiency is an extremely useful tool.

The team that has made more three balls is 72 – 34 (13 games even) thus far … better than two-out-of-three.

Here’s what the average 2022 WNBA game performance looks like, numerically.

[All data reflects play through Thursday, June 30.  An explanation of the criteria is available below.]

 

Possessions: 79.4

Points: 81.6  [PPP: 1.027]

FG: 29.7 – 68.1, .436

3FG: 7.9 – 22.7, .347

3PAr/Usage rate: .333

FT: 14.3 – 18.1, .788

(Off – Tot) Reb: 8.2 – 34.7  [OR% .236]

TO: 13.5  [TO% .154]

 

 

No. 1 Chicago Sky, 14-5 (14)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 4

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 7

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 3]

 

KK:  +5; (7 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall

Flow:  +1.74; (45.3 stops OF opp [No. 6] – 43.5 stops BY opp [No. 3] / No. 4 overall

Striping:  +1.29; (+2.50) conversions [No. 4] – (+1.21) opp conversions [No. 1] / No. 2 overall

SPOR-t:  -4; (525 [No. 5] – 529 [No. 9]) / No. 7 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Sky’s seven road victories to-date lead the circuit.

 

 

No. 2 Connecticut Sun, 13-7 (14.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 3

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 2

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 1]

 

KK:  +3; (6 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 2 overall (tied)

Flow:  +3.90; (46.1 stops OF opp [No. 4] – 42.2 stops BY opp [No. 1] / No. 1 overall

Striping:  -1.15; (+1.05) conversions [No. 10] – (+2.20) conversions [No. 8] / No. 10 overall

SPOR-t:  +149; (606 [No. 1] – 457 [No. 1]) / No. 1 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Sun out-play the opposition by nearly four (3.90) conversions per game.

 

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 1)

Which teams are performing the rudimentary skills of the game most proficiently at both ends of the floor? Let’s consider six elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, Points per Game, Offensive Rebounding, the matter of turnovers and the SPOR-t score of our ratings. These teams hold a Top Four rank offensively and defensively:

FG%: Chicago, Las Vegas

3FG%: Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Seattle

PPG: Connecticut

OR%: Connecticut, Minnesota

TO%: Seattle, Washington

SPOR-t: Connecticut

 

No. 3 Washington Mystics, 13-9 (15)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 1

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 3

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 4]

 

KK:  +2; (6 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 4 overall

Flow:  +1.82; (45.8 stops OF opp [No. 5] – 44.0 stops BY opp [No. 4] / No. 3 overall

Striping:  +0.27; (+2.23) conversions [No. 6] – (+1.95) opp conversions [No. 6] / No. 6 overall

SPOR-t:  +47; (515 [No. 6] – 468 [No. 3]) / No. 2 overall

Abacus Revelation: The stingy Mystics’ defense allows just 76 ppg, No. 1 in the league.

 

 

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, 14-5 (16.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 2

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 1

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 2]

 

KK:  +3; (6 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 2 overall (tied)

Flow:  +2.47; (46.8 stops OF opp [No. 3] – 44.4 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 2 overall

Striping:  -0.32; (+2.58) conversions [No. 3] – (+2.89) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 8 overall

SPOR-t:  +8; (509 [No. 7] – 501 [No. 4]) / No. 4 overall

Abacus Revelation: The sure-handed Aces rank No.1 in TO% (.130).

 

No. 5 Seattle Storm, 12-7 (23)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 7

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 6

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 6]

 

KK:  0; (4 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied)

Flow:  +1.32; (46.9 stops OF opp [No. 2] – 45.6 stops BY opp [No. 9] / No. 5 overall

Striping:  +1.26; (+3.47) conversions [No. 1] - (+2.21) opp conversions [No. 9] / No. 3 overall

SPOR-t:  -32; (477 [No. 9] – 509 [No. 5]) / No. 9 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Storm rank No. 2 in protecting the ball (.144, TO%) and forcing opponent miscues (.174).

 

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Scoring Pace 119 games

100+ points: 10 games

90-99 points: 45 games

80-89 points: 85 games

70-79 points: 70 games

60-69 points: 21 games

<60 points: 7 games  

 

 

No.6 Dallas Wings, 9-11 (26.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 6

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 4

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 5]

 

KK:  -1; (5 Road Wins – 6 Home Losses) / No. 8 overall (tied)

Flow:  -1.60; (43.2 stops OF opp [No. 10] – 44.8 stops BY opp [No. 8] / No. 9 overall

Striping:  +0.85; (+2.20) conversions [No. 7] – (+1.35) conversions [No. 2] / No. 4 overall

SPOR-t:  +6; (526 [No. 4] – 520 [No. 7]) / No. 5 overall 

Abacus Revelation: The Wings rank fourth in both making and defending 3FG’s.

 

 

No. 7 Atlanta Dream, 9-11 (29.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 5

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 4

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 7]

 

KK:  -1; (4 Road Wins – 5 Home Losses) / No. 8 overall (tied)

Flow:  -2.10; (47.2 stops OF opp [No. 1] – 49.3 stops BY opp [No. 12] / No. 10 overall

Striping:  +0.30; [+2.08) conversions [No. 8] – (+1.78) conversions [No. 5] / No. 5 overall

SPOR-t:  +5; (471 [No. 10] – 466 [No. 2]) / No. 6 overall 

Abacus Revelation: The streaky Dream have won nine of their last 11 games.

 

 

 

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Scoring Differential 119 games

1-5 points: 31 games

6-10 points: 40 games

11-15 points: 21 games

16-20 points:  13 games

>20: 14 games

 

 

No. 8 Minnesota Lynx, 6-14 (31.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 10

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 10

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 11]

 

KK:  -3; (3 Road Win – 6 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall (tied)

Flow:  -0.35; (43.0 stops OF opp [No. 12] – 43.4 stops BY opp [No. 2] / No. 7 overall

Striping:  -1.58; (0.90) conversions [No. 11] – (+2.48) opp conversions [No. 10] / No. 11 overall

SPOR-t:  +32; (549 [No. 2] – 517 [No. 6]) / No. 3 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Lynx hope to improve in their No. 3 ranking in OR% (.278).

 

 

No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks, 7-11 (32)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 8

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 8

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 8]

 

KK:  0; (4 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied)

Flow:  +0.33; (44.4 stops OF opp [No. 8] – 44.1 stops BY opp [No. 5] / No. 6 overall

Striping:  -2.14; (+0.39) conversions [No. 12] – (+2.53) opp conversions [No. 11]) / No. 12 overall

SPOR-t:  -21; (509 [No. 7] – 530 [No. 10]) / No. 8 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Sparks rank last in both three-point usage (.247) and accuracy (.327).

 

No. 9 Phoenix Mercury, 9-12 (32)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 11

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 11

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 9]

 

KK:  0; (4 Road Wins – 4 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied)

Flow:  -0.71; (43.7 stops OF opp [No. 9] – 44.4 stops BY opp [No. 7] / No. 8 overall

Striping:  +0.14; (+2.33) conversions [No. 5] – (+2.19) opp conversions [No. 7] / No. 7 overall

SPOR-t:  -75; (467 [No. 11] – 542 [No. 11]) / No. 11 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Mercury rank dead last (.379) in defending the three-ball.

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 2)

Are not the exceptionally inept worthy of some recognition? Here are the teams that hold a Bottom Four offensive and defensive ranking in our key elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, PPG, Offensive Rebounding, Turnovers and SPOR-t.

FG%: Dallas, Indiana

3FG%: Los Angeles, Minnesota, Phoenix

PPG: Indiana

OR%: New York

TO%: Minnesota, New York

SPOR-t: Phoenix

 

No. 11 New York Liberty, 8-11 (34.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 12

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 12

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 10]

 

KK:  -3; (4 Road Wins – 7 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall (tied)

Flow:  -2.32; (45.1 stops OF opp [No. 7] – 47.4 stops BY opp [No. 11] / No. 11 overall

Striping:  +1.39; (+3.16) conversions [No. 2] – (+1.76) opp conversions [No. 4] / No. 1 overall

SPOR-t:  -83; (443 [No. 12] – 526 [No. 8]) / No. 12 overall

Abacus Revelation: The stout Liberty defense leads the “W” in FG% (.409).

 

No. 12 Indiana Fever, 5-16 (43)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 9

4-week Abacus Rank: No. 9

6-week Abacus Rank: No. 11]

 

KK:  -5; (2 Road Wins – 7 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall

Flow:  -4.10; (43.0 stops OF opp [No.11] – 47.0 stops BY opp [No. 10] / No. 12 overall

Striping:  -0.38; (+1.36) conversions [No. 9] – (+1.74) conversions [No. 3) / No. 9 overall

SPOR-t:  -41; (530 [No. 3] – 571 [No. 12]) / No. 10 overall

Abacus Revelation: The scrappy Fever rank second in OR% (.285).

 

Abacus Revelation for the Road / per-game missed three-point shots

In 119 games, WNBA players attempted 5,396 three-point shots. They have been off-target on 3,523 of them – an average of 14.8 misses per game per team.

 

New York 18.89 missed treys [3FG%: .331, No. 9]

Phoenix 17.62 missed treys [3FG%: .330, No. 10]

Seattle 16.74 missed treys [3FG%: .367, No. 1]

Las Vegas 16.16 missed treys [3FG%: .362, No. 3] 

Dallas 15.80 missed treys [3FG%: .356, No. 4]

Washington 15.45 missed treys [3FG%: .347, No. 8]

Atlanta 14.45 missed treys [3FG%: .349, No. 5]

Minnesota 13.20 missed treys [3FG%: .328, No. 11]

Indiana 13.14 missed treys [3FG%: .349, No. 7]

Chicago 13.11 missed treys [3FG%: .366, No. 2]

Connecticut 11.75 missed treys [3FG%: .349, No. 6]

Los Angeles 11.11 missed treys [3FG%: .327, No. 12]

 

The Grading Scale

 

“Flow”: this calculation puts a number to a team’s unsuccessful possessions (i.e. the other guys’ “stops”). Just take their missed field goals (attempts minus makes), subtract the offensive rebounds, and then add the turnovers. The “scores” represent per-game performance.

 

“Striping”: this calculation measures the impact of missed free throws and made treys. By subtracting the former from the latter [3’s minus missed FT’s], we identify a team’s gain or loss in points through “specialty shooting.” Again the “scores” are per-game. (A further division by two converts “points” to “conversions” – thus they can be combined with the “Flow” score.)

 

KK: Karl Kount – named for George Karl – is a way to measure a team’s grit and savvy through its ability to defend its home court and win on the road, a simple calculation for generally reliable info.

 

 “SPOR-t”: SPOR-t stands for “Shooting Plus Offensive Rebounds minus turnovers.” Add a team’s FG percentage and its offensive rebounding percentage (o. boards divided by the sum of those o. boards and the opposition's d. boards). Then subtract the percentage of a team’s possessions lost to turnovers. For example, a team shoots field goals at a .488 clip, offensive rebounds at a rate of .199, and commits a turnover on .143 of its possessions. So its SPOR-t is (488+199-143) or 544. Once again, our measurement will be the difference between the SPOR-t scores of a team and its opposition.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

We’ll rank the teams from 1 to 12 in all criteria and simply add up the rankings. Low score wins, naturally. 

WNBA 2022 thru four weeks

In the summer of 2021, the Bill Laimbeer-led Las Vegas Aces attempted a measly 432 three-point shots in their 32 games (roughly 13.5 per game) … less than half as many as not one but two separate teams (New York and Washington), and 120 fewer than the circuit’s second-most reluctant long-ballers (Indiana). [Worthy of note, the Aces’ .375 rate of accuracy did rank the No. 2 for the season.]

The opportunity to lead her former team, the re-located  San Antonio Silver Stars, lured WNBA legend Becky Hammon away from Greg Popovich’s staff, and the clever playmaker has imposed more versatility on the team’s offensive attack, particularly in their usage of the three-point arc – their per game attempts have almost doubled to 25, while the connect rate has improved to a league-best .380.

 

Here’s what the average 2022 WNBA game performance looks like, numerically.

[All data reflects play through Thursday, June 2.  An explanation of the criteria is available below.]

 

Possessions: 79.4

Points: 81.4  [PPP: 1.025]

FG: 29.4 – 67.8, .433

3FG: 7.6 – 21.9, .346

3PAr/Usage rate: .324

FT: 15.1 – 19.1, .789

(Off – Tot) Reb: 8.5 – 34.6  [OR% .246]

TO: 14.1  [TO% .156]

 

No. 1 Las Vegas Aces, 9-2 (13)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 2]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  +3.82; (46.5 stops OF opp [No. 3] – 42.6 stops BY opp [No. 3] / No. 2 overall

Striping:  +0.55; (+2.59) conversions [No. 2] – (+2.05) opp conversions [No. 7] / No. 6 overall

SPOR-t:  +27; (524 [No. 6] – 497 [No. 5]) / No. 2 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Aces rank No.1 in both shooting (.380) and defending (.299) the 3FG.

 

 

No. 2 Connecticut Sun, 7-3 (14)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 3]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  +4.50; (46.2 stops OF opp [No. 5] – 41.7 stops BY opp [No. 1] / No. 1 overall

Striping:  -0.70; (+1.00) conversions [No. 10] – (+1.70) conversions [No. 5] / No. 9 overall

SPOR-t:  +172; (634 [No. 1] – 462 [No. 2]) / No. 1 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Sun rank first in OR% (.345) and second in DR% (.771).

 

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 1)

Which teams are performing the rudimentary skills of the game most proficiently at both ends of the floor? Let’s consider six elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, Points per Game, Offensive Rebounding, the matter of turnovers and the SPOR-t score of our ratings. These teams hold a Top Four rank offensively and defensively:

FG%: Chicago, Las Vegas

3FG%: Atlanta, Connecticut, Las Vegas

PPG: Connecticut

OR%: Connecticut

TO%: Dallas, Seattle

SPOR-t: Connecticut

 

No. 3 Washington Mystics, 7-3 (16)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 1]

 

KK:  +2; (4 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  +2.80; (45.8 stops OF opp [No. 6] – 43.0 stops BY opp [No. 4] / No. 3 overall

Striping:  +0.50; (+2.20) conversions [No. 6] – (+1.70) opp conversions [No. 5] / No. 7 overall

SPOR-t:  +23; (517 [No. 7] – 494 [No. 4]) / No. 3 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Mystics force three more TO’s per game than they commit.

 

 

No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 6-3 (20.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 5]

 

KK:  +1; (3 Road Win – 2 Home Losses) / No. 6 overall

Flow:  -0.78; (48.6 stops OF opp [No. 1] – 49.3 stops BY opp [No. 11] / No. 7 overall

Striping:  +1.50; [+2.39) conversions [No. 4] – (+0.89) conversions [No. 2] / No. 1 overall

SPOR-t:  +3; (440 [No. 4] – 437 [No. 10]) / No. 6 overall (tied)

Abacus Revelation: The Dream’s stingy defense has allowed opponents a paltry .379 FG%.

 

 

 

No.4 Dallas Wings, 5-4 (20.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 6]

 

KK:  +2; (4 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  -2.00; (42.0 stops OF opp [No. 12] – 44.0 stops BY opp [No. 5] / No. 9 overall

Striping:  +1.39; (+2.50) conversions [No. 3] – (+1.11) conversions [No. 4] / No. 2 overall

SPOR-t:  +3; (532 [No. 4] – 529 [No. 7]) / No. 6 overall (tied)

Abacus Revelation: The Wings rank ninth in FG% … but fifth in per-game scoring.

 

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Scoring Pace 58 games

100+ points: 5 games

90-99 points: 24 games

80-89 points: 35 games

70-79 points: 39 games

60-69 points: 9 games

<60 points: 4 games  

 

No. 6 Seattle Storm, 5-3 (21.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 7]

 

KK:  -1; (0 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 8 overall (tied)

Flow:  +1.75; (48.3 stops OF opp [No. 2] – 46.5 stops BY opp [No. 9] / No. 6 overall

Striping:  +1.00; (+3.44) conversions [No. 1] - (+2.44) opp conversions [No. 9] / No. 3 overall

SPOR-t:  +22; (497 [No. 9] – 482 [No. 3]) / No. 4 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Storm’s atrocious .404 FG% ranks them No. 11.

 

No. 7 Chicago Sky, 5-3 (22)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 4]

 

KK:  0; (2 Road Wins – 2 Home Losses) / No. 7 overall

Flow:  +1.88; (46.3 stops OF opp [No. 4] – 44.4 stops BY opp [No. 7] / No. 5 overall

Striping:  +0.81; (+1.69) conversions [No. 9] – (+0.88) opp conversions [No. 1] / No. 5 overall

SPOR-t:  +10; (517 [No. 7] – 507 [No. 6]) / No. 5 overall

Abacus Revelation: The “defending” champions rank 9th in DR% (.745) and 8th in forcing TO’s (.150).

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Scoring Differential 58 games

1-5 points: 14 games

6-10 points: 20 games

11-15 points: 7 games

16-20 points:  7 games

>20: 10 games

 

No. 8 Los Angeles Sparks, 5-6 (28)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 8]

 

KK:  +2; (3 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 1 overall (tied)

Flow:  +2.00; (43.8 stops OF opp [No. 9] – 41.8 stops BY opp [No. 2] / No. 4 overall

Striping:  -2.32; (+0.18) conversions [No. 11] – (+2.50) opp conversions [No. 10]) / No. 11 overall

SPOR-t:  -44; (530 [No. 5] – 574 [No. 12]) / No. 10 overall

Abacus Revelation: The sharp-shooting (.480) Sparks rank first in FG% … with 9 fewer 3FGA’s per game.

 

 

 

No. 9 Indiana Fever, 3-9 (36)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 9]

 

KK:  -4; (1 Road Win – 5 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall

Flow:  -4.58; (43.8 stops OF opp [No. 8] – 48.4 stops BY opp [No. 10] / No. 11 overall

Striping:  +0.92; (+1.96) conversions [No. 7] – (+1.04) conversions [No. 3) / No. 4 overall

SPOR-t:  -36; (533 [No. 3] – 569 [No. 11]) / No. 9 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Fever yield a league-worst 89.2 ppg.

 

 

No. 10 Minnesota Lynx, 2-8 (38)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 10]

 

KK:  -2; (1 Road Win – 3 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall

Flow:  -1.10; (43.2 stops OF opp [No. 11] – 44.3 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 8 overall

Striping:  -2.55; (0.00) conversions [No. 12] – (+2.55) opp conversions [No. 11] / No. 12 overall

SPOR-t:  -1; (537 [No. 2] – 538 [No. 7]) / No. 8 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Lynx rank 10th in 3FG% (.320) and 9th in defending treys (.370)..

 

ABACUS INFOMERCIAL

Masters of the Craft (Part 2)

Are not the exceptionally inept worthy of some recognition? Here are the teams that hold a Bottom Four offensive and defensive ranking in our key elements of play: FG shooting, three-point shooting, PPG, Offensive Rebounding, Turnovers and SPOR-t.

FG%: Dallas, Indiana

3FG%: Minnesota, New York, Phoenix

PPG: Minnesota, Phoenix

OR%: Los Angeles, New York

TO%: Minnesota, New York

SPOR-t: Phoenix

 

 

No. 11 Phoenix Mercury, 2-7 (39.5)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 11]

 

KK:  -1; (1 Road Win – 2 Home Losses) / No. 8 overall (tied)

Flow:  -2.44; (43.2 stops OF opp [No. 10] – 45.7 stops BY opp [No. 8] / No. 10 overall

Striping:  -0.83; (+1.94) conversions [No. 8] – (+2.78) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 10 overall

SPOR-t:  -76; (466 [No. 10] – 542 [No. 10]) / No. 11 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Mercury and their opponents have each attempted 157 free throws.

 

 

No. 12 New York Liberty, 2-7 (43)

[2-week Abacus Rank: No. 12]

 

KK:  -3; (0 Road Wins – 3 Home Losses) / No. 11 overall

Flow:  -5.56; (44.4 stops OF opp [No. 7] – 50.0 stops BY opp [No. 12] / No. 12 overall

Striping:  +0.28; (+2.39) conversions [No. 4] – (+2.11) opp conversions [No. 8] / No. 8 overall

SPOR-t:  -140; (398 [No. 12] – 538 [No. 8]) / No. 12 overall

Abacus Revelation: The Liberty lead the “W” in 3FG usage (40.2% of their FGA’s).

 

 

Abacus Revelation for the Road / Random Ranking – Per-game Differential in Free-Throw Attempts

 

In its first 58 games, WNBA 2022 produced exactly 2,214 free-throw attempts – an average of 18.1 per game per team.

 

Las Vegas +5.73 FTA’s per game [22.1 (No. 3) – 16.4 (No. 3)]

Minnesota +4.50 FTA’s per game [23.1 (No. 1) – 18.6 (No. 6)]

Connecticut +3.70 FTA’s per game [22.7 (No. 2) – 19.0 (No. 7)]

Seattle +1.75 FTA’s per game [15.1 (No. 12) – 13.4 (No. 1)]

Washington +1.30 FTA’s per game [16.2 (No. 11) – 14.9 (No. 2)]

Los Angeles +0.09 FTA’s per game [22.1 (No. 4) – 22.0 (No. 10)]

Phoenix 0.00 FTA’s per game [17.4 (No. 7) – 17.4 (No. 4)]

Dallas -0.33 FTA’s per game [20.1 (No. 5) – 20.4 (No. 8)]

Chicago -0.75 FTA’s per game [17.0 (No. 8) – 17.8 (No. 5)]

Atlanta -4.78 FTA’s per game [16.8 (No. 9) – 21.6 (No. 9)]

Indiana -5.67 FTA’s per game [17.9 (No. 6) – 23.6 (No. 12)]

New York -5.89 FTA’s per game [16.3 (No. 10) – 22.2 (No. 11)]

 

 

The Grading Scale

 

“Flow”: this calculation puts a number to a team’s unsuccessful possessions (i.e. the other guys’ “stops”). Just take their missed field goals (attempts minus makes), subtract the offensive rebounds, and then add the turnovers. The “scores” represent per-game performance.

 

“Striping”: this calculation measures the impact of missed free throws and made treys. By subtracting the former from the latter [3’s minus missed FT’s], we identify a team’s gain or loss in points through “specialty shooting.” Again the “scores” are per-game. (A further division by two converts “points” to “conversions” – thus they can be combined with the “Flow” score.)

 

KK: Karl Kount – named for George Karl – is a way to measure a team’s grit and savvy through its ability to defend its home court and win on the road, a simple calculation for generally reliable info.

 

 “SPOR-t”: SPOR-t stands for “Shooting Plus Offensive Rebounds minus turnovers.” Add a team’s FG percentage and its offensive rebounding percentage (o. boards divided by the sum of those o. boards and the opposition's d. boards). Then subtract the percentage of a team’s possessions lost to turnovers. For example, a team shoots field goals at a .488 clip, offensive rebounds at a rate of .199, and commits a turnover on .143 of its possessions. So its SPOR-t is (488+199-143) or 544. Once again, our measurement will be the difference between the SPOR-t scores of a team and its opposition.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

We’ll rank the teams from 1 to 12 in all criteria and simply add up the rankings. Low score wins, naturally.