best defensive rating each year

Ben Wallace has the best defensive rating in a season, with an 87.5 rating in 2003-04.

Interpreted as:
best defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games by a player each year
NAMEDRTGSEASONTMGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTPGMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOVPF+/-
1Ben Wallace
B. Wallace
87.5
2003-04
DET DET
81
37.7
9.5
12.4
1.7
1.8
3.0
3.9
9.2
42.1
0.0
0.1
12.5
1.8
3.6
49.0
44.1
4.0
8.4
1.5
3,050
773
1,006
138
143
246
123
162
+437
2Elvin Hayes
E. Hayes
87.7
1974-75
WAS WAS
82
42.3
23.0
12.2
2.5
1.9
2.3
9.0
20.3
44.3
5.0
6.5
76.6
49.6
2.7
9.5
3,465
1,887
1,004
206
158
187
238
3David Robinson
D. Robinson
88.0
1998-99
SAS SAS
49
31.7
15.8
10.0
2.1
1.4
2.4
5.5
10.8
50.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.9
7.4
65.8
56.4
3.0
7.0
2.2
1,554
775
492
103
69
119
108
143
+331
4Bob Lanier
B. Lanier
88.0
1973-74
DET DET
81
37.6
22.5
13.3
4.2
1.4
3.0
9.2
18.3
50.4
4.0
5.0
79.7
54.8
3.3
9.9
3,047
1,822
1,074
343
110
247
273
5Wes Unseld
W. Unseld
88.4
1974-75
WAS WAS
73
39.8
9.2
14.8
4.1
1.6
0.9
3.7
7.5
50.2
1.7
2.5
68.5
53.8
4.4
10.4
2,904
672
1,077
297
115
68
180
6Tim Duncan
T. Duncan
88.5
2003-04
SAS SAS
69
36.6
22.3
12.4
3.1
0.9
2.7
8.6
17.1
50.1
0.0
0.2
16.7
5.1
8.5
59.9
53.4
3.3
9.2
2.7
2,527
1,538
859
213
62
185
183
164
+543
7Elvin Hayes
E. Hayes
88.7
1973-74
CAP CAP
81
44.5
21.4
18.1
2.0
1.1
3.0
8.5
20.1
42.3
4.4
6.1
72.1
47.0
4.4
13.7
3,602
1,735
1,463
163
86
240
252
8Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
K. Abdul-Jabbar
88.8
1973-74
MIL MIL
81
43.8
27.0
14.5
4.8
1.4
3.5
11.7
21.7
53.9
3.6
5.2
70.2
56.4
3.5
11.0
3,548
2,191
1,178
386
112
283
238
9Clifford Ray
C. Ray
89.3
1973-74
CHI CHI
80
32.9
9.3
12.2
3.1
0.7
2.2
3.9
7.7
51.1
1.5
2.5
60.8
53.4
3.6
8.7
2,632
747
977
246
58
173
281
10Bobby Jones
B. Jones
89.9
1976-77
DEN DEN
82
29.5
15.1
8.3
3.2
2.3
2.0
6.1
10.7
57.0
2.9
4.0
71.7
60.5
2.1
6.1
2,419
1,238
678
264
186
162
238
11Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
K. Abdul-Jabbar
90.0
1975-76
LAL LAL
82
41.2
27.7
16.9
5.0
1.5
4.1
11.1
21.1
52.9
5.5
7.8
70.3
56.7
3.3
13.5
3,379
2,275
1,383
413
119
338
292
12Ben Wallace
B. Wallace
90.0
2002-03
DET DET
73
39.4
6.9
15.4
1.6
1.4
3.2
2.9
6.0
48.1
0.0
0.1
16.7
1.2
2.6
45.0
48.6
4.0
11.4
1.2
2,873
506
1,126
120
104
230
88
179
+222
13Dave Cowens
D. Cowens
90.4
1973-74
BOS BOS
80
41.9
19.0
15.7
4.4
1.2
1.3
8.1
18.4
43.7
2.9
3.4
83.2
47.6
3.3
12.4
3,352
1,518
1,257
354
95
101
294
14Nate Thurmond
N. Thurmond
90.5
1974-75
CHI CHI
80
34.5
7.9
11.3
4.1
0.6
2.4
3.1
8.6
36.4
1.7
2.8
58.9
40.3
3.2
8.1
2,756
632
904
328
46
195
271
15Marcus Camby
M. Camby
90.5
2000-01
NYK NYK
63
33.8
12.0
11.5
0.8
1.0
2.2
4.8
9.2
52.4
0.0
0.1
12.5
2.4
3.6
66.7
55.9
3.1
8.4
1.0
2,127
759
723
52
66
136
63
205
+67
16Dave Cowens
D. Cowens
90.7
1974-75
BOS BOS
65
40.5
20.4
14.7
4.6
1.3
1.1
8.8
18.4
47.5
2.9
3.8
78.3
50.9
3.5
11.2
2,632
1,329
958
296
87
73
243
17Curtis Perry
C. Perry
91.0
1973-74
MIL MIL
81
29.5
9.0
8.7
2.3
1.3
1.2
4.0
9.0
44.6
1.0
1.7
58.2
46.2
3.0
5.7
2,386
728
703
183
104
97
301
18Elvin Hayes
E. Hayes
91.1
1975-76
WAS WAS
80
37.2
19.8
11.0
1.5
1.3
2.5
8.1
17.3
47.0
3.6
5.7
62.8
50.1
2.6
8.4
2,975
1,585
878
121
104
202
293
19Patrick Ewing
P. Ewing
91.2
1998-99
NYK NYK
38
34.2
17.3
9.9
1.1
0.8
2.6
6.5
14.9
43.5
0.0
0.1
0.0
4.3
6.1
70.6
49.1
1.9
8.0
2.6
1,300
657
377
43
30
100
99
105
+47
20Bill Walton
B. Walton
91.3
1976-77
POR POR
65
34.8
18.6
14.4
3.8
1.0
3.2
7.6
14.3
52.8
3.5
5.0
69.7
56.3
3.2
11.1
2,264
1,210
934
245
66
211
174
21Sam Lacey
S. Lacey
91.5
1974-75
KCO KCO
81
41.7
11.5
14.2
5.3
1.7
2.1
4.8
11.3
42.7
1.8
2.4
75.4
46.4
2.8
11.4
3,378
928
1,149
428
139
168
274
22Kevin Garnett
K. Garnett
91.5
2003-04
MIN MIN
82
39.4
24.2
13.9
5.0
1.5
2.2
9.8
19.6
49.9
0.1
0.5
25.6
4.5
5.7
79.1
54.7
3.0
10.9
2.6
3,231
1,987
1,139
409
120
178
212
202
+614
23Tim Duncan
T. Duncan
91.5
1998-99
SAS SAS
50
39.3
21.7
11.4
2.4
0.9
2.5
8.4
16.9
49.5
0.0
0.1
14.3
4.9
7.2
69.0
54.1
3.2
8.2
2.9
1,963
1,084
571
121
45
126
146
147
+371
24Elmore Smith
E. Smith
91.6
1973-74
LAL LAL
81
36.1
12.5
11.2
1.9
0.9
4.9
5.4
11.7
45.7
1.8
3.1
59.0
47.9
2.5
8.7
2,922
1,015
906
150
71
393
309
25Jerry Sloan
J. Sloan
91.6
1974-75
CHI CHI
78
33.0
12.2
6.9
2.1
2.2
0.2
4.9
11.1
43.9
2.5
3.3
74.8
48.7
2.3
4.6
2,577
953
538
161
171
17
265
StatMuse has season-level data for defensive rating going back to the 1973-74 season.

More Pistons Stats

Team Rankings

ORTG

114.5

20th

DRTG

111.8

7th

NETRTG

2.6

10th

3P%

34.8

18th

2025-26 Conference Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
2
Bulls Bulls
5
1
.833
3
Bucks Bucks
4
2
.667
1.0
4
Pistons Pistons
4
2
.667
1.0
5
Heat Heat
3
2
.600
1.5
6
Cavaliers Cavaliers
4
3
.571
1.5
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Mon
11/3
DET DET
@
MEM MEM
8:00 PM
Wed
11/5
UTA UTA
@
DET DET
7:00 PM
Fri
11/7
DET DET
@
BKN BKN
7:30 PM
Sun
11/9
DET DET
@
PHI PHI
7:30 PM
Mon
11/10
WAS WAS
@
DET DET
7:00 PM
Last Game
DAL Mavericks

2 - 4

110

Final

122

DET Pistons

4 - 2

Sat 1 Nov 2025

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

NBA 2025-26 Betting

NBA 2025-26 Conference Standings

WesternWLPCTGB
1
Thunder Thunder
7
0
1.000
2
Spurs Spurs
5
1
.833
1.5
3
Trail Blazers Trail Blazers
4
2
.667
2.5
4
Lakers Lakers
4
2
.667
2.5
5
Clippers Clippers
3
2
.600
3.0
6
Nuggets Nuggets
3
2
.600
3.0
EasternWLPCTGB
1
76ers 76ers
5
1
.833
2
Bulls Bulls
5
1
.833
3
Bucks Bucks
4
2
.667
1.0
4
Pistons Pistons
4
2
.667
1.0
5
Heat Heat
3
2
.600
1.5
6
Cavaliers Cavaliers
4
3
.571
1.5

NBA 2025-26 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Mon
10/20
HOU HOU
@
OKC OKC
124-125
Mon
10/20
GSW GSW
@
LAL LAL
119-109
Tue
10/21
CLE CLE
@
NYK NYK
111-119
Tue
10/21
BKN BKN
@
CHA CHA
117-136
Tue
10/21
MIA MIA
@
ORL ORL
121-125

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Mon
11/3
MIN MIN
@
BKN BKN
7:00 PM
Mon
11/3
MIL MIL
@
IND IND
7:00 PM
Mon
11/3
WAS WAS
@
NYK NYK
7:30 PM
Mon
11/3
UTA UTA
@
BOS BOS
7:30 PM
Mon
11/3
DAL DAL
@
HOU HOU
8:00 PM