GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
How do NBA contested-shot tracking, Hustle contests and blocks differ?
They are different glossary definitions. Contested Shot uses the closest defender's distance from the shooter. Contested Shots under Hustle describes a defender closing out and raising a hand before release. BLK describes a defensive tip of an opponent's shot attempt.
For NBA fans comparing defensive tracking and Hustle Stats labels. · Updated
Contested Shot uses defender proximity
The glossary's Contested Shot entry defines the tracking condition using the closest defender within 3.5 feet of the shooter. This is a distance-based label.
A defender can be close without the glossary definition saying the shot was blocked. Keep the proximity entry separate from both the Hustle wording and BLK.
The Hustle entry describes an action before release
The glossary has a separate Contested Shots entry under Hustle. It describes a defensive player or team closing out and raising a hand to contest the shot before release.
The entries use similar names but describe different conditions: one is distance-based, while the other describes a closeout gesture and its timing. The glossary does not explain whether their totals should match in any particular dataset.
A block involves a tipped shot attempt
BLK is defined as a defensive player tipping an opponent's shot attempt. That is distinct from merely being near the shooter or raising a hand before release.
Use each source label for its stated condition. Do not claim the three categories are mutually exclusive in every play or infer an effect on the shot from a proximity or hand-raise label alone.
Three fictional shot observations
Observation one: the closest defender is 3.2 feet from the shooter during a fictional shot, illustrating the distance condition in Contested Shot. Observation two: on a separate attempt, a defender closes out and raises a hand before release, illustrating the Hustle Contested Shots wording; the example does not assign a distance-based label. Observation three: a defender tips a fictional opponent shot attempt, illustrating BLK. These are invented examples of definitions, not real game events or official assignments. The labels should not be assumed to have matching totals.
Related questions
Are the two contested-shot entries interchangeable?
The glossary gives one distance-based Contested Shot definition and a separate Hustle Contested Shots definition based on closing out and raising a hand before release. It does not say the entries are interchangeable or that their totals match.
Does a contested shot automatically count as a block?
No. The glossary defines BLK around a defender tipping a shot attempt. The Contested Shot entry describes defender proximity, while the Hustle entry describes a closeout and raised hand before release.