best defense efficiency by a rookie in nba history

Alvan Adams has the lowest defensive rating by a rookie, with a 94.9 rating in 1975-76.

Interpreted as:
best defense efficiency with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games by a rookie in NBA history
NAMEDRTGSEASONTMGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTPGMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOVPF+/-
1Alvan Adams
A. Adams
94.9
1975-76
80
33.2
19.0
9.1
5.6
1.5
1.5
7.9
16.8
46.9
3.3
4.4
73.5
50.7
2.7
6.4
2,656
1,519
727
450
121
116
274
2Lonnie Shelton
L. Shelton
95.1
1976-77
82
25.7
11.6
7.7
1.8
1.5
1.2
4.9
10.2
47.6
1.9
2.7
70.7
51.1
2.7
5.0
2,104
955
633
149
125
98
363
3Tim Duncan
T. Duncan
95.3
1997-98
82
39.1
21.1
11.9
2.7
0.7
2.5
8.6
15.7
54.9
0.0
0.1
0.0
3.9
5.9
66.2
57.7
3.3
8.6
3.4
3,204
1,731
977
224
55
206
279
254
+429
4John Drew
J. Drew
95.7
1974-75
78
29.3
18.5
10.7
1.8
1.5
0.5
6.8
15.8
42.8
5.0
7.0
71.3
49.1
4.6
6.1
2,289
1,442
836
138
119
39
274
5Jack Sikma
J. Sikma
96.3
1977-78
82
27.3
10.7
8.3
1.6
0.8
0.5
4.2
9.2
45.5
2.3
3.0
77.7
50.9
2.4
5.9
2.3
2,238
876
678
134
68
40
186
300
6David Robinson
D. Robinson
96.8
1989-90
82
36.6
24.3
12.0
2.0
1.7
3.9
8.4
15.9
53.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
7.5
10.2
73.2
59.7
3.7
8.3
3.1
3,002
1,993
983
164
138
319
257
259
7Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Z. Ilgauskas
96.9
1997-98
82
29.0
13.9
8.8
0.9
0.6
1.6
5.5
10.7
51.8
0.0
0.0
25.0
2.8
3.7
76.2
56.4
3.4
5.4
1.8
2,379
1,139
723
71
52
135
146
288
+211
8Jamaal Wilkes
J. Wilkes
97.2
1974-75
82
30.7
14.2
8.2
2.2
1.3
0.3
6.1
13.8
44.2
2.0
2.7
73.4
47.3
2.5
5.7
2,515
1,164
671
183
107
22
222
9Brevin Knight
B. Knight
97.3
1997-98
80
31.0
9.0
3.2
8.2
2.5
0.2
3.3
7.4
44.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
2.5
3.1
80.1
51.5
0.8
2.3
2.4
2,483
723
253
656
196
18
194
271
+298
10Richard Washington
R. Washington
97.5
1976-77
82
27.6
13.0
8.5
1.0
0.8
1.1
5.4
12.6
43.1
2.2
3.1
69.7
46.7
2.5
6.1
2,265
1,069
698
85
63
90
324
11Scott May
S. May
98.1
1976-77
72
32.9
14.6
6.1
2.0
1.1
0.2
6.0
13.3
45.1
2.6
3.2
82.8
49.8
2.0
4.1
2,369
1,050
437
145
78
17
185
12Larry Bird
L. Bird
98.2
1979-80
82
36.0
21.3
10.4
4.5
1.7
0.6
8.5
17.8
47.4
0.7
1.7
40.6
3.7
4.4
83.6
53.8
2.6
7.8
3.2
2,955
1,745
852
370
143
53
263
279
13Mike Sojourner
M. Sojourner
98.6
1974-75
73
29.2
11.7
8.8
1.3
0.5
0.8
5.2
10.6
48.8
1.3
2.0
65.1
50.7
2.7
6.1
2,129
851
642
93
35
57
217
14Scott Wedman
S. Wedman
98.6
1974-75
80
31.9
11.1
6.1
1.6
1.0
0.3
4.7
10.1
46.5
1.7
2.1
81.8
50.5
2.5
3.6
2,554
889
490
129
81
27
270
15Nene
Nene
98.6
2002-03
80
28.2
10.5
6.1
1.9
1.6
0.8
4.0
7.7
51.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.5
4.3
57.8
54.5
2.6
3.5
2.3
2,258
839
491
149
127
65
181
295
-261
16Walter Davis
W. Davis
98.7
1977-78
81
32.0
24.2
6.0
3.4
1.4
0.2
9.7
18.4
52.6
4.8
5.8
83.0
57.7
2.0
4.0
3.5
2,590
1,959
484
273
113
20
283
242
17Leonard Gray
L. Gray
98.7
1974-75
75
30.4
11.5
6.4
2.2
0.8
0.3
5.0
10.3
48.9
1.4
1.9
72.2
51.4
1.8
4.6
2,280
860
478
163
63
24
292
18Manute Bol
M. Bol
99.0
1985-86
80
26.1
3.7
6.0
0.3
0.4
5.0
1.6
3.5
46.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.5
1.1
48.8
47.2
1.5
4.4
0.8
2,090
298
477
23
28
397
65
255
19Ron Behagen
R. Behagen
99.1
1973-74
80
25.7
11.0
7.1
1.7
0.7
0.5
4.5
10.3
43.2
2.0
2.7
76.4
47.6
2.4
4.7
2,059
876
567
134
56
37
291
20Chris Bosh
C. Bosh
99.2
2003-04
75
33.5
11.5
7.4
1.0
0.8
1.4
4.4
9.5
45.9
0.1
0.2
35.7
2.7
3.8
70.1
51.3
2.5
4.9
1.4
2,510
861
557
78
59
106
107
215
-164
21Nerlens Noel
N. Noel
99.3
2014-15
75
30.8
9.9
8.1
1.7
1.8
1.9
4.0
8.7
46.2
0.0
0.0
1.9
3.1
60.9
49.3
2.5
5.7
1.9
2,311
744
611
128
133
142
146
208
-430
22Buck Williams
B. Williams
99.9
1981-82
82
34.5
15.5
12.3
1.3
1.0
1.0
6.3
10.7
58.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.0
4.7
62.4
60.3
4.2
8.0
2.9
2,825
1,268
1,005
107
84
84
235
285
23Yao Ming
Y. Ming
100.0
2002-03
82
29.0
13.5
8.2
1.7
0.4
1.8
4.9
9.8
49.8
0.0
0.0
50.0
3.7
4.5
81.1
57.0
2.4
5.8
2.1
2,382
1,104
675
137
31
147
173
230
+142
24Quinn Buckner
Q. Buckner
100.1
1976-77
79
26.5
8.6
3.3
4.7
2.4
0.3
3.8
8.7
43.4
1.1
1.9
53.9
45.0
1.2
2.2
2,095
681
264
372
192
21
291
25Reggie King
R. King
100.1
1979-80
82
25.0
8.2
6.9
1.3
0.8
0.4
3.1
6.1
51.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.9
2.7
72.6
56.5
2.2
4.7
1.2
2,052
673
566
106
69
31
100
230
StatMuse has season-level data for defensive rating going back to the 1973-74 season.

More Suns Stats

Team Leaders

PPG

25.7

Booker

Devin Booker

RPG

8.2

Williams

Mark Williams

APG

6.3

Booker

Devin Booker
Team Rankings

ORTG

115.8

15th

DRTG

113.9

9th

NETRTG

2.0

12th

3P%

36.3

12th

2025-26 Conference Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
5
22
11
.667
6.0
6
23
13
.639
6.5
7
Suns Suns
21
15
.583
8.5
8
19
18
.514
11.0
9
17
20
.459
13.0
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Wed
1/7
@
8:00 PM
Fri
1/9
@
9:00 PM
Sun
1/11
@
8:00 PM
Tue
1/13
@
7:30 PM
Thu
1/15
@
7:00 PM
Last Game
PHX Suns

21 - 15

97

Final

100

HOU Rockets

22 - 11

Mon 5 Jan 2026

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

NBA 2025-26 Betting

NBA 2025-26 Standings

EasternWLPCTGB
1
27
9
.750
2
23
12
.657
3.5
3
23
13
.639
4.0
4
22
15
.595
5.5
5
19
15
.559
7.0
6
20
16
.556
7.0
7
20
16
.556
7.0
8
20
17
.541
7.5
9
17
19
.472
10.0
10
17
21
.447
11.0
11
16
20
.444
11.0
12
13
23
.361
14.0
13
11
22
.333
14.5
14
9
25
.265
17.0
15
6
30
.167
21.0
WesternWLPCTGB
1
30
7
.811
2
25
10
.714
4.0
3
22
11
.667
6.0
4
24
12
.667
5.5
5
22
11
.667
6.0
6
23
13
.639
6.5
7
21
15
.583
8.5
8
19
18
.514
11.0
9
17
20
.459
13.0
10
15
20
.429
14.0
11
13
22
.371
16.0
12
13
23
.361
16.5
13
12
23
.343
17.0
14
8
28
.222
21.5
15
8
29
.216
22.0

NBA 2025-26 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Thu
12/4
@
98-107
Thu
12/4
@
116-101
Thu
12/4
@
98-117
Thu
12/4
@
111-132
Fri
12/5
@
101-119

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Tue
1/6
@
7:00 PM
Tue
1/6
@
7:00 PM
Tue
1/6
@
8:00 PM
Tue
1/6
@
8:00 PM
Tue
1/6
@
8:00 PM