Abstract

The Total Performance Score (TPS) concept is used to recognize skill mastery of basketball players who, not only score points in a game, but who also demonstrate other important skills such as assists, rebounds, steals and blocked shots. In order to validate the TPS concept, this study endeavours to determine if, team players game skill scores on a TPS chart can predict the coachs ranking of the players. A secondary aim of this study was to establish which of the TPS statistics were most influential in determining the coachs player ranking. Game statistics from the 1985 season for seven Australian National Basketball League Teams were transformed to Total Performance Scores (TPSs) and correlated against their coachs player rankings. A Spearman rank order correlation coefficient analysis (r = .55, p (0.05) vindicated the effectiveness of the players TPSs as predictors of the coachs player ranking. Regression analysis indicated that field goals made and assits were the two game statistics most influential in determining coachs player rankings. These findings support the use of the TPS as an objective scoring system which can indicate the >teamwork value< of a player to coaches, media and team supporters. The paper also proposes some possible effects on athlete/team motivation by effective use of the TPS. Verf.-Referat