clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Plus/Minus

Longtime readers might remember that I took up the +/- project back in 2008.  There are a lot of caveats that come with this form of evaluation, but I think when it's done right--that is when done with a with-or-without-you approach, adjusted for tempo, with player pairs and full five-man lineup data--it can be pretty enlightening.  I'm not all the way there yet.  I'm still at the with-or-without-you level, which sheds some light but is obscured quite a bit by the impact of a given player's teammates.

Here is what I have so far.  (Wisconsin game not included since they didn't bother to include substitution data in the box score.)  The key columns are in bold--the team's offensive and defensive efficiency while a given player was on or off the court.  It's way too early in the season and the process for concrete conclusions, but this at least offers a glimpse at how guys are helping or hurting the team.