How many lists don’t feature Giannis Antetokounmpo somewhere near the top? ESPN just introduced a new stat, Net Points, meant to provide another option for holistically measuring player performance, similar to but different from metrics like Player Impact Rating (PIE) or Estimated Plus Minus (EPM).
Guess who’s had the best game by Net Points this season? You got it, the Greek Freak strikes again.
Based on ESPN’s examples, the metric seems to specialize in separating individual contributions from team play. This would make it unique compared to measures such as Net Rating or Plus-Minus, which inherently incorporate how good a player’s teammates are. This is true of all stats that compare a player’s impact on the basis of team performance with or without them.
It is an interesting new stat that could become a valuable contribution to player analytics, much like Player Efficiency Rating, created by ex-ESPN writer John Hollinger, rose to prominence in the 2010s.
When, exactly, did Giannis set what is so far the Net Points single-game record in its inaugural season? Hint: Delon Wright was still in Milwaukee and led the team in assists.
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Ok, so maybe that hint wasn’t altogether helpful. Aside from scoring a season-high 59 on 21 of 34 from the field, Giannis also accumulated a league-best 19.9 Net Points in the Bucks’ 127-120 overtime win versus Detroit on November 13. He created 16.1 Net Points on offense and 3.8 defensively.
One useful Net Points trait is that the scores of all players in a game add up to the win-loss margin. For example, the ESPN article states that because Giannis earned a score of +19.9 and the Bucks won by 7, we can conclude that teammates accounted for negative 12.9. Not so good.
In other words, Antetokounmpo did what he does so often, hoisting the team on his shoulders and willing Milwaukee a win.
Against the Pistons, he also registered 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks, in addition to going 16-17 at the line. His contributions across the board helped boost his score to the pinnacle of individual performances.
Net Points incorporates typical box score measures like rebounds, assists and blocks, but it also attempts to go beyond them, the article claims.
Not all box scores are created equal. The article cites a Joel Embiid triple double good for 29, 11 and 10 that received a Net Points rating of just -0.8. A good score doesn’t come simply from stat-stuffing. As much as possible, the computations integrate actual basketball concerns like “transition opportunities, matchup and help defense, and creating better shots for teammates.”
Trailing Giannis for the season’s best Net Points night are Karl Anthony-Towns (19.7), Tyrese Haliburton (17.9), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (16.8 in his Feb.5 50-pointer), Jalen Brunson (16.6), and Nikola Jokic (16.1).
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Depending on where you look, in the article itself or on ESPN’s webpage devoted to Net Points, the Greek Freak came into Milwaukee’s game Tuesday ranked either 8th or 6th in overall Net Points, at either 164 or 172.36. Either way, per game he is 4th (3.67) behind only Joker, SGA, and KAT.
Defensively, the table in the article gives him 57 Net Points out of his 164 total. By comparison, Alperen Sengun leads all players with 71 Net Points on defense. KAT has 39.
Wait. Karl Anthony-Towns, famous for slow feet and lack of defensive effort, has contributed positive 39 points? Interestingly enough, standard Defensive Net Rating also gives Towns the edge over Giannis relative to the difference in team rating when both are on the floor versus off (113 with Towns, 114.1 without; 111.7 with Giannis, 111.9 without him). They both play similar minutes.
Moreover, Jokic has tallied 61 Net Points on defense. He has played 8 more games than Giannis and has a slightly lower average, but something does not add up.
Either the world seriously overrates Giannis’ defensive ability or stats, however advanced, simply don’t capture the nuances, or at times the canyons, that separate players on that side of the ball.
Be that as it may, Antetokounmpo isn’t the only Buck mentioned among Net Point performers. On offense, Damian Lillard ranks 6th with a score of 154.87. On the opposite end of the spectrum, ESPN pegs Kyle Kuzma as the 5th worst offensive player according to Net Points, along with three other Wizards in the bottom six.
Assuming those figures include Kuzma’s time in Washington, one can infer that the Net Points metric isn’t altogether distinct from team performance.
Whether or not you put any stock in the newest toy in the NBA stat-verse, it will be interesting to see how Net Points grows over the coming months and years, and whether it takes hold among mainstream advanced metrics.
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