APBRmetrics

Hi

Apologies for the simplicity of this question but I am a newby on the subject.

Looking at the formula for calculating PER, I get a bit confused when it comes to pace adjustment.Looking at the basketball-reference definition:

pace adjustment = lg_Pace / team_Pace
(Where:
Pace = 48 * ((Tm Poss + Opp Poss) / (2 * (Tm MP / 5))) )
Poss = 0.5 * ((Tm FGA + 0.4 * Tm FTA - 1.07 * (Tm ORB / (Tm ORB + Opp DRB)) * (Tm FGA - Tm FG) + Tm TOV) + (Opp FGA + 0.4 * Opp FTA - 1.07 * (Opp ORB / (Opp ORB + Tm DRB)) * (Opp FGA - Opp FG) + Opp TOV))
)

How do you go about calculating the league and team paces? I assume team pace is the pace of the team based on its statistic so far this season. Does that mean that league pace is an aggregation of all teams in the current season?

Also, does that mean that PER is not really usable at the beginning of the season since all stats will be zero?

"I assume team pace is the pace of the team based on its statistic so far this season."

Yes.


"Does that mean that league pace is an aggregation of all teams in the current season?"

Yes.


"Also, does that mean that PER is not really usable at the beginning of the season since all stats will be zero?"

Basketball-reference and ESPN will calculate PER after a few games or maybe even the first one using the team and league paces and the other stats as of that time and will update daily.

The first week or two PER might be more volatile but it settles down pretty quickly.