APBRmetrics

**cherokee_ACB** · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 157

The figure shows the average accumulated efficiency as a function of time for last season (the red line), and the running 50 game average (roughly one week) .

The story is that teams started slow, peaked for Christmas, then there were an obvious efficiency drop until the All Star break, which was followed by a couple of weeks of excellent offense. Then a new drop, a final tuning for the play-offs, and a bunch of garbage games to close the season.

Is this a typical pattern or just valid for last season?

deepak · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 664

Interseting. I guess that could explain why efficiency was so low for the shortened 50-game season. The teams just didn't have enough games to "warm up".

pp · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

I am new to the NBA analysis and not acquinted with the efficiency meassure itself but if you look at the raw points per game figure (seasons 1992-2002), the observations are pretty consitent with what you've posted, cherokee. A slow start and the gradual increase till the 60-70 day of the regular season followed by a bounce back after the All Star break decline and a slow down in growth towards the end.

Strangely, it looks a bit different for the hosts and the guests.

I hope you don't mind me asking for the obvious: what would be the reason for the sudden slump in the efficiency untill the All Star break?

mateo82 · Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 211

Players get a little bit of a break during Christmas (unless you play for the Heat or Lakers) and a break during the all-star week. Purely speculative, but this may be where the "mid-season grind" comes from. After the all-star break there is an increased feeling of urgency. Again, pure speculation.

**cherokee_ACB** · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 157