The touches statistic in basketball refers to how many times a player holds or catches the ball within an offensive possession or an entire game. How many touches a player gets in a game can show how involved that player is in his or her team's offense. In the 2018-19 season, Nikola Jokic led the league in touches, with a total 7,479 for the season and an average of 93.5 per game.
Since the touches statistic can be an important factor in determining a player's offensive prowess and involvement, it can be an important calculation for basketball analytics workers to know.
The formula for calculating a player's offensive touches is:
The four portions of this formula can be broken down into what a player can do when he or she receives the ball, minus dribbling. The first section, FGA, refers to the player's option to shoot. The second part is a player turning over the ball. The third portion, (FTA/ (Team's FTA/Opp PF), refers to the player drawing a foul. The last portion is for assists.
No one position in basketball will have more touches than any other position, since the statistic depends so much on who the players are and what they do with the ball. The best way to get touches in a game is to create space to receive the ball and to find the best options for passing or shooting. Taking a shot will get you more touches than just dribbling for long periods of time, getting you more involved in the offense and forcing you to be more productive!