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About the Pythagorean Method for Calculating Win Pct.

The Pythagorean Method gives an expected winning percentage using the fact that the ratio of a team's wins and losses is related to the number of points scored by the team raised to some exponent, which is usually taken to be 16.5.

Expected Winning % = (Pts scored)^(16.5)/(Pts scored^(16.5) + Pts allowed^(16.5))

Written and checked by the DatabaseBasketball editorial desk.

Career and season figures are read off the site’s own statistical tables; anything said about an operator is taken from the terms that operator publishes. A field with no source is left empty rather than filled in.

Updated