NBA Pace Leaders — Fastest and Slowest Teams

Pace is one of the most fundamental metrics in basketball analytics, measuring the number of possessions a team uses per 48 minutes. It tells you how fast a team plays and directly impacts every counting statistic in the box score.

The 2025-26 season sees the NBA continuing the uptempo trend that began around 2013 when teams started embracing the three-point revolution. Fast-paced teams push the ball in transition, take early threes, and emphasize quick ball movement. This style generates more possessions and more shot attempts per game.

Pace context is essential for evaluating team and player statistics. A team averaging 115 points per game at 104 possessions is less efficient than a team averaging 108 points at 96 possessions. This is why net rating (points per 100 possessions) is considered a superior metric to raw point totals. Similarly, individual players on high-pace teams naturally have inflated counting stats compared to players on slower teams.

The historical context shows dramatic shifts in NBA tempo. The 1960s featured pace above 125 possessions per game, while the early 2000s saw the slowest era at around 91. Today's game has returned to a balanced tempo with pace around 99-100, combining modern efficiency with increased shot attempts and transition play.