Photo by Finn Winkler/picture alliance via Getty Images
In the late 1950’s, UNC basketball coach Frank Maguire and an assistant named Dean Smith recognized that their tools for evaluating team success were limited. They played an up-tempo game, so naturally they’d average more points than teams that played slowly. But who had the better offense? So instead of using total points or rebound margin, they began charting stats on a per-possession basis. And that’s it - that’s what “advanced” metrics are. They break down the game into one possession bits so that you can compare teams of different tempos.
