best nba defensive rating 1980s

Between the 1979-80 and 1988-89 seasons, Hakeem Olajuwon had the best defensive rating, with a 99.1 rating.

Interpreted as:
best NBA defensive rating with a minimum of 1000 minutes played per 82 team games by a player 1980s
NAMEDRTGGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTPGMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOVPF+/-
1Hakeem Olajuwon
H. Olajuwon
99.1
386
36.2
23.0
12.1
2.0
1.9
3.1
9.0
17.4
51.8
0.0
0.0
5.3
5.0
7.4
67.2
55.7
4.5
7.6
3.0
13,990
8,883
4,677
780
748
1,201
1,175
1,562
2Mark Eaton
M. Eaton
99.3
568
30.2
7.0
8.7
1.2
0.4
4.2
2.8
6.3
44.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.5
2.3
64.9
48.1
2.3
6.4
1.8
17,181
3,969
4,916
693
242
2,391
1,016
2,037
3Johnny High
J. High
99.7
274
16.6
5.1
2.3
1.9
1.2
0.3
1.9
4.3
43.5
0.0
0.1
10.5
1.4
2.2
61.9
48.6
0.8
1.5
1.7
4,538
1,396
617
525
325
86
455
712
4Ed Sherod
E. Sherod
99.9
64
25.4
6.2
2.3
4.9
1.5
0.2
2.7
6.6
40.6
0.0
0.2
7.7
0.8
1.3
65.0
43.3
0.7
1.7
1.6
1,624
395
149
311
96
14
104
112
5Len Elmore
L. Elmore
99.9
350
16.4
4.6
3.7
0.9
0.7
0.7
1.8
4.3
42.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.9
1.3
72.8
47.1
1.3
2.4
1.1
5,747
1,603
1,309
302
243
251
376
890
6Dave Cowens
D. Cowens
100.0
106
29.9
11.9
7.6
2.7
0.9
0.7
5.3
11.7
45.1
0.0
0.1
7.1
1.4
1.7
79.5
47.9
1.9
5.7
1.4
3,173
1,264
808
288
99
76
152
353
7Sam Lacey
S. Lacey
100.4
279
23.4
6.2
5.6
3.8
0.9
1.0
2.6
5.8
44.0
0.0
0.1
18.8
1.0
1.3
75.8
48.0
1.4
4.2
2.0
6,542
1,724
1,567
1,054
257
292
547
957
8George Johnson
G. Johnson
100.4
381
18.8
3.7
5.3
1.0
0.4
2.5
1.5
3.3
46.8
0.0
0.0
50.0
0.7
0.9
71.7
50.8
1.8
3.5
1.2
7,157
1,424
2,020
396
155
944
473
1,110
9Tree Rollins
T. Rollins
100.6
713
24.8
6.3
7.0
0.6
0.5
2.6
2.6
4.9
53.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.1
1.5
70.8
56.5
2.2
4.8
1.0
17,651
4,509
4,993
461
360
1,849
736
2,359
10Harvey Catchings
H. Catchings
100.6
442
18.9
3.1
4.9
0.9
0.4
1.7
1.2
2.9
43.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.6
1.0
63.2
47.1
1.7
3.2
1.0
8,363
1,378
2,180
412
164
766
462
1,270
11Karl Malone
K. Malone
100.7
325
35.9
23.3
10.5
2.5
1.4
0.7
8.9
17.4
51.3
0.0
0.1
16.7
5.5
8.2
66.9
55.6
3.0
7.5
3.5
11,656
7,576
3,412
812
470
224
1,126
1,200
12Larry Bird
L. Bird
100.8
717
38.4
25.0
10.2
6.1
1.8
0.8
9.8
19.6
50.3
0.6
1.7
37.7
4.6
5.3
88.0
57.0
2.2
8.0
3.2
27,560
17,899
7,319
4,396
1,300
603
2,261
1,906
13Gar Heard
G. Heard
100.9
160
19.0
4.9
4.6
1.4
1.2
0.8
2.0
5.0
39.7
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.9
1.2
76.5
44.1
1.5
3.1
1.1
3,034
783
728
219
188
121
169
373
14Manute Bol
M. Bol
101.1
319
20.5
3.3
4.9
0.2
0.2
3.9
1.4
3.2
42.5
0.1
0.3
21.3
0.5
0.8
57.1
45.7
1.2
3.7
0.8
6,547
1,039
1,576
74
70
1,252
240
830
15Rick Mahorn
R. Mahorn
101.1
655
26.9
8.2
7.5
1.2
0.7
1.2
3.3
6.7
50.3
0.0
0.0
9.1
1.5
2.2
68.0
53.7
1.9
5.6
1.6
17,634
5,363
4,892
763
440
776
1,043
2,434
16Alton Lister
A. Lister
101.1
643
23.1
8.2
7.3
1.2
0.5
1.9
3.3
6.3
51.9
0.0
0.0
16.7
1.6
2.7
60.4
54.5
2.3
5.0
1.8
14,835
5,245
4,674
755
294
1,244
1,188
2,399
17Roy Tarpley
R. Tarpley
101.4
175
24.6
11.3
9.8
0.9
1.1
1.1
4.6
9.3
49.6
0.0
0.1
11.1
2.1
2.9
71.3
53.4
3.5
6.2
1.8
4,303
1,982
1,710
155
187
195
318
615
18Quinn Buckner
Q. Buckner
101.5
477
21.6
8.2
2.6
3.8
1.7
0.0
3.5
7.6
46.5
0.0
0.1
18.4
1.1
1.6
68.7
49.4
0.8
1.8
2.0
10,321
3,908
1,248
1,818
801
23
946
1,295
19Truck Robinson
T. Robinson
101.5
386
34.0
15.1
9.0
2.0
0.7
0.5
6.2
12.3
50.0
0.0
0.0
100.0
2.8
4.3
64.9
53.2
2.6
6.4
2.7
13,139
5,847
3,491
769
270
179
1,058
1,158
20George McGinnis
G. McGinnis
101.5
218
24.7
10.7
7.5
3.4
1.4
0.4
4.1
9.3
43.8
0.0
0.1
8.0
2.5
4.7
53.2
46.8
2.2
5.3
2.9
5,394
2,329
1,625
747
296
79
633
743
21Rich Kelley
R. Kelley
101.6
501
20.0
6.1
5.5
2.4
0.8
0.7
2.1
4.4
48.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.9
2.5
77.2
55.8
1.8
3.7
2.1
10,036
3,062
2,778
1,211
382
331
1,063
1,558
22Wes Unseld
W. Unseld
101.7
145
34.5
9.0
12.2
3.7
0.8
0.7
3.8
7.4
51.8
0.0
0.0
50.0
1.3
2.0
65.8
54.4
3.7
8.5
1.7
5,005
1,301
1,767
536
117
97
250
420
23Jack Sikma
J. Sikma
101.7
795
34.7
16.8
10.3
3.4
1.1
1.0
6.2
13.2
47.1
0.1
0.4
31.3
4.2
5.0
85.6
54.6
2.4
7.9
2.4
27,557
13,342
8,192
2,721
871
829
1,878
2,822
24Darryl Dawkins
D. Dawkins
101.7
482
26.2
13.5
6.2
1.4
0.5
1.4
5.3
9.1
58.0
0.0
0.0
13.3
2.9
4.2
69.5
61.6
1.7
4.5
2.7
12,629
6,495
2,967
677
265
697
1,301
2,052
25Bobby Jones
B. Jones
101.8
537
24.2
10.5
4.5
2.2
1.2
1.1
3.9
7.2
54.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.7
3.3
80.1
60.5
1.4
3.1
1.6
13,014
5,620
2,411
1,171
620
598
858
1,400
StatMuse has season-level data for defensive rating going back to the 1973-74 season.

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PPG

25.4

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RPG

9.3

Sengun

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APG

6.7

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Team Rankings

ORTG

123.1

2nd

DRTG

113.9

8th

NETRTG

9.3

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3P%

40.0

2nd

2025-26 Conference Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
1
30
5
.857
2
25
9
.735
4.5
3
Rockets Rockets
21
10
.677
7.0
4
23
11
.676
6.5
5
21
11
.656
7.5
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sat
1/3
@
8:30 PM
Mon
1/5
@
8:00 PM
Wed
1/7
@
10:00 PM
Fri
1/9
@
10:00 PM
Sun
1/11
@
9:00 PM
Last Game
HOU Rockets

21 - 10

120

Final

96

BKN Nets

10 - 21

Thu 1 Jan 2026

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

NBA 2025-26 Betting

NBA 2025-26 Standings

EasternWLPCTGB
1
25
9
.735
2
23
11
.676
2.0
3
21
12
.636
3.5
4
20
15
.571
5.5
5
18
14
.563
6.0
6
19
15
.559
6.0
7
20
16
.556
6.0
8
19
16
.543
6.5
9
17
17
.500
8.0
10
17
19
.472
9.0
11
15
20
.429
10.5
12
11
23
.324
14.0
13
10
22
.313
14.0
14
9
24
.273
15.5
15
6
29
.171
19.5
WesternWLPCTGB
1
30
5
.857
2
25
9
.735
4.5
3
21
10
.677
7.0
4
23
11
.676
6.5
5
21
11
.656
7.5
6
21
13
.618
8.5
7
20
14
.588
9.5
8
18
17
.514
12.0
9
15
19
.441
14.5
10
15
20
.429
15.0
11
12
21
.364
17.0
12
12
21
.364
17.0
13
12
23
.343
18.0
14
8
27
.229
22.0
15
8
28
.222
22.5

NBA 2025-26 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Mon
12/1
@
117-123
Mon
12/1
@
124-112
Tue
12/2
@
135-120
Tue
12/2
@
122-110
Tue
12/2
@
114-112

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sat
1/3
@
5:00 PM
Sat
1/3
@
7:30 PM
Sat
1/3
@
7:30 PM
Sat
1/3
@
8:00 PM
Sat
1/3
@
8:00 PM