NBA Analytics | Boston Sports Context is King. Building better player evaluation through data.
Joined February 2026
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π§΅Over the last few days Iβve been building out a scoring model using 654 qualifying player-seasons from 2014β2026.
Qualifications:
20+ PTS/75
25+ MPG
50+ games played
The goal was to measure more than just who scored the most or who was the most efficient. I wanted something that captured how much you scored, how efficiently you did it relative to your environment, how much actual scoring value you created, the pressure you put on defenses, how well you preserved possessions, and how that scoring translated to team offense.
Iβm going to start releasing the full rankings in groups of 50, along with breakdowns of some of the most interesting placements.
654 player-seasons. One scoring model. Rankings coming soon.
Weβve gotten more Tatum w/ no Pritchard minutes than weβve gotten Tatum + Pritchard minutes, I need that to flip flop.
One of the more interesting developments in Bostonβs new-look offense has been Tatum functioning as a much lower-maintenance offensive hub without sacrificing his overall involvement.
His usage is still sitting at 32%, nearly identical to his 30.7% in 2025, yet his on-ball% has dropped from 28.7% across 2024-26 to just 12% thus far.
His time of possession has fallen from 8.4 to 5.5, avg seconds per touch from 6.76 to 4.04, and dribbles per touch from 2.51 to 2.23. Heβs maintaining an extremely high scoring responsibility while spending significantly less time controlling the ball.
The offensive burden hasnβt necessarily disappeared, itβs being distributed differently throughout possessions. Far less prolonged creation on the perimeter, with more opportunities to influence the offense through quicker decisions and connective play.
The change in where Tatum is operating has been just as interesting, with elbow touches rising from 2.0 to 2.5 and post-ups from 1.9 to 4.5 per game.
Heβs being utilized more frequently through the middle of the floor, leveraging his positioning to manipulate defenses, initiate actions and sustain advantages without needing to create everything off the bounce.
His playmaking economy has been particularly fascinating. Despite potential assists falling from 15.7 to 11.2, his potential assists per minute on-ball have jumped from 2.2 to 3.8. His AST eFG% has also risen to 89% after sitting at 70% and 68% the previous two seasons.
The processing itself has looked unreal, with 18 AST to just 4 TOV thus far. Heβs still a major initiator and connective piece, but the speed at which heβs recognizing coverages and moving the ball has been especially encouraging.
Obviously an extremely small sample, and Iβm not suggesting this is guaranteed to become the new norm. Just pointing out how drastically different his responsibilities have looked in this new offense and how naturally heβs adapted to them.
A lot of people underestimate how much defensive attention superstars command, and how that can contribute to both off nights as scorers and team success. Their gravity alone creates advantages for others, allowing them to impact winning without scoring at an elite level every night. Obviously, supporting casts vary, but scoring output doesnβt always reflect actual impact. That being said, this statement couldnβt be further from the truth.
