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Question regarding Touches formula

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 8:50 pm
by halanam
Hello all,

I'm an occasional lurker and I had a question regarding the Touches formula created by Bob Chaikin. I figured this would be the best place to ask this question.

I was wondering why the .17 number was used in the assists portion of the formula.
Touches=Field Goal Attempts + Turnovers + (Free Throw Attempts / (Team's Free Throw Attempts/Opponents Personal Fouls)) + (Assists/0.17)

%Pass = 100 * (AST / 0.17) / Touches. The percentage of a player's touches that ended with him passing to a teammate in an attacking position on the floor.
%Shoot = 100 * FGA / Touches. The percentage of a player's touches that ended with him taking a shot and not being fouled in the act.
%Fouled= 100 * (FTA / (Tm FTA / Opp PF)) / Touches. The percentage of a player's touches that ended with him drawing a foul.
%TO = 100 * Turnovers / Touches. The percentage of a player's touches that ended with him turning the ball over.
Thanks in advance

Re: Question regarding Touches formula

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 11:40 pm
by Mike G
I think that means about one in 6 'touches' (that does not result in a shot or turnover) is an assist. This is presumably equally true for high-assist guys and low-assist guys.
Incidental touches, such as the point guard handing off to the big man up high and getting it right back, don't seem to count.
Bob will be the final authority on this.

Re: Question regarding Touches formula

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 2:18 am
by bchaikin
and so i shall...

mike is right... moreso 1 in 6 passes is an assist. on a game-by-game basis the formula is useless, but over a season it's accurate enough to model real life. however the sportsvu data will at some point trump this...