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Estimated defensive rating per 100 possessions. Lower is better — elite defenders allow fewer points when on the court.
Defensive Rating (DRTG) estimates how many points a player allows per 100 possessions when on the court. Our model uses box score stats as inputs: steals and blocks reduce the rating (indicating better defense), while turnovers slightly increase it (possession losses hurt team defense). The base is 110, roughly the league average.
True defensive rating requires play-by-play and tracking data that captures contests, deflections, and opponent FG% at the rim. Our estimate provides a reasonable approximation based on available box score metrics and correlates well with advanced defensive metrics for most player archetypes.
An individual DRTG below 105 is excellent, below 108 is good, and above 112 indicates poor defensive impact. For context, the best defensive teams in the league have team DRTGs around 105-108.
No. Defense is highly contextual. A player's on-ball defense, help rotations, communication, and deterrence effect are critical but invisible in traditional stats. This metric should be viewed alongside film study and tracking data.
Per-100 possession normalization removes pace effects. A team that plays at a faster pace will have more possessions and potentially more points allowed without being worse defensively.