How does a player's season change?

Each dot is a player's box-score plus-minus in one game: the team's scoring margin while that player was on court. The x-axis is the number of games their team had played, not the player's appearance number. Missing appearances leave gaps. A traded player starts a new segment on the new team's schedule.

The line averages the player's most recent 5, 10, or 15 appearances, including early partial windows. Plus-minus reflects teammates, opponents, lineups, and minutes as well as the player. A rising line describes on-court results; it does not establish individual improvement. Shortened seasons end before game 82.