Approximate Value is a metric created by Pro Football Reference's Doug Drinen, primarily used in football but occasionally applied to basketball. It provides a rough single-number summary of player value intended for historical comparisons where precise data is unavailable.
AV uses a simplified formula based on minutes played, points, rebounds, and assists, scaled to produce a reasonable career total. Exact coefficients vary by sport and implementation.
Useful for very rough historical comparisons, particularly when detailed play-by-play or advanced data doesn't exist.
Extremely crude approximation — the name is honest about this. Provides almost no analytical insight for modern NBA evaluation where vastly superior metrics exist. Not designed for basketball.
Not used in APEX. AV is a placeholder metric for data-scarce environments. APEX operates in a data-rich environment with access to BPM, EPM, LEBRON, and DefOnOff. There is no situation where AV would add useful signal.