Hendrix wrote:How do you know that we can derive this information?
By determining a pattern for certain player types.
Hendrix wrote:How do you know how accurate the information is?
Direct testing.
Hendrix wrote:You didn't bother to comment on any of my comments about the strength of the correlation or anything
Because it made no sense whatsoever to the points made. It seems like you have the wrong impression that someone argued that with just one single number (in that case FG%), some sort of other quantifiable value would be generated, which then can be compared to a direct measurement of the wanted value. If that would be the case, such regression analysis would make sense. But that is not the case. The information we can derive by the compilation of shooting numbers can be used to put players into certain categories.
Hendrix wrote:For example: player 'x' shoots 45fg% in 1993 in the ACB.
Nobody ever argued that this would be enough information about a specific player to say more about him than how many of his field goal attempts he converted. Because that's what FG% is telling you. And it is very precise at that too. ;)