Every box score is built from the same core counting stats. Below is a plain-English definition of all 19, from Points down to the Triple-Double, grouped by category. Jump straight to any one with the list on the right, or read straight through.
Points are the total number of points a player scores, worth 1 for a made free throw, 2 for a made shot inside the three-point line, and 3 for a made shot from beyond it. It's the most basic measure of scoring output, but it says nothing about efficiency, a player can score 30 points on 30 shots or on 15, and the points total alone can't tell you which.
For efficiency-adjusted scoring, see True Shooting Percentage.
Top 5 scorers in the NBA this season, in points per game. Min. 20 GP.
A field goal is any made shot from the floor, two-pointer or three-pointer, not counting free throws. Field Goals Made is simply the raw count of those makes in a game or season, the numerator behind Field Goal Percentage.
Field Goals Attempted counts every shot from the floor a player takes, whether it goes in or not, again excluding free throws. It's a proxy for shot volume and, combined with Usage Rate, for how much offensive load a player is carrying.
Field Goal Percentage is Field Goals Made divided by Field Goals Attempted, the share of shot attempts that go in. It treats a made three the same as a made mid-range two despite the extra point, which is exactly the gap Effective Field Goal Percentage was built to fix.
Three-Pointers Made is the count of made shots from beyond the three-point line, a subset of Field Goals Made. It's become one of the sport's most tracked counting stats as the league has shifted toward three-point volume over the last decade.
Three-Point Percentage is three-pointers made divided by three-pointers attempted. League-average three-point shooting sits in the mid-to-high 30s percent-wise, so anything comfortably above that on real volume is considered strong.
Free Throws Made counts made free throws, the uncontested shots awarded after a shooting foul or reaching the team foul limit. Free throw volume is often a proxy for how often a player attacks the basket rather than settling for jumpers.
Free Throw Percentage is free throws made divided by free throws attempted. Because free throws are unguarded and taken from a fixed distance, FT% is often used as a rough proxy for a player's pure shooting touch, separate from shot creation or defense.
An offensive rebound is a missed shot recovered by the shooting team, giving them a new possession (and a fresh shot clock in most cases) instead of turning the ball over. Offensive rebounds usually come from players near the basket, and a high offensive rebound total is one of the clearest signs of an effective second-chance attack.
A defensive rebound is a missed shot recovered by the team that was on defense, ending the other team's possession. Defensive rebounds are more common league-wide than offensive rebounds, since the defense usually has better positioning underneath the basket.
Total Rebounds is simply offensive plus defensive rebounds combined, the full count of missed shots a player recovers. For a rate-based version that adjusts for playing time and opportunity, see Rebound Percentage.
Top 5 rebounders this season, split by where the rebound came from. Min. 20 GP.
An assist is credited to a player who passes to a teammate that immediately scores off that pass, with the scorer taking no more than a dribble or two to set up the shot. It's the standard box-score measure of playmaking, though it only captures passes that directly lead to a made basket, not the gravity or setup that creates other open looks.
A steal is credited when a defensive player takes the ball away from the offense, whether by intercepting a pass or stripping a dribbler, directly causing a turnover. Steals are one of the few defensive counting stats tracked in a standard box score.
A block is credited when a defender legally deflects a shot attempt, preventing it from being a field goal try. Like steals, blocks are an easy way to spot rim protection in a box score, though they undercount defenders who simply alter shots without touching the ball.
This season's top playmakers next to its top two-way disruptors (steals + blocks combined). Min. 20 GP.
A turnover is any loss of possession that isn't a missed shot, a bad pass, an offensive foul, a travel, a shot clock violation, or simply losing the ball out of bounds. High-usage, high-touch players naturally rack up more turnovers just by handling the ball more often, which is why raw turnover counts are best read alongside Turnover Percentage.
A personal foul is any illegal physical contact called against a player, on either end of the floor. A player is disqualified after 6 personal fouls in a standard NBA game, and foul trouble is one of the main reasons a starter loses minutes to the bench.
Minutes Per Game is the average amount of game time a player logs per appearance. It's the standard way to gauge a player's role and trust level on a roster, and it's the denominator behind rate stats like Per-36 Stats.
Games Played is simply the count of games a player has appeared in during a season, regardless of how many minutes they logged. It's the basic measure of availability, and most rate stats and leaderboards set a minimum GP threshold so a hot 2-game stretch doesn't rank ahead of a full, consistent season.
The players who've suited up the most games so far this season.
A double-double is a game in which a player reaches double digits (10+) in two of the five main statistical categories, points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks. Points and rebounds is the most common combination, since those are usually the two highest-volume categories for a given player.
A triple-double is a game in which a player reaches double digits in three of those same five categories, most commonly points, rebounds, and assists. It's treated as a marker of an unusually complete, all-around performance, since it requires real production across scoring, rebounding, and playmaking in the same game.