Karl Malone had the best PER in 1996-97, with a 28.9 rating.

Interpreted as:

best player efficiency rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games by a player 1997

	NAME	PER	SEASON	TM	GP	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	+/-
1	Karl Malone K. Malone	28.9	1996-97	UTA	82	36.6	27.4	9.9	4.5	1.4	0.6	10.5	19.2	55.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	6.4	8.4	75.5	60.0	2.4	7.5	2.8	2,998	2,249	809	368	113	48	233	217	+768
2	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	27.8	1996-97	CHI	82	37.9	29.6	5.9	4.3	1.7	0.5	11.2	23.1	48.6	1.4	3.6	37.4	5.9	7.0	83.3	56.7	1.4	4.5	2.0	3,106	2,431	482	352	140	44	166	156	+818
3	Grant Hill G. Hill	25.5	1996-97	DET	80	39.3	21.4	9.0	7.3	1.8	0.6	7.8	15.7	49.6	0.1	0.4	30.3	5.6	7.9	71.1	55.6	1.5	7.5	3.2	3,147	1,710	721	583	144	48	259	186	+413
4	Charles Barkley C. Barkley	23	1996-97	HOU	53	37.9	19.2	13.5	4.7	1.3	0.5	6.3	13.1	48.4	1.1	3.9	28.3	5.4	7.8	69.4	58.1	4.0	9.5	2.8	2,009	1,016	716	248	69	25	151	153	+312
5	Kevin Johnson K. Johnson	22.9	1996-97	PHX	70	38.0	20.1	3.6	9.3	1.5	0.2	6.3	12.7	49.6	1.3	2.9	44.1	6.3	7.4	85.2	63.1	0.8	2.8	3.1	2,658	1,410	253	653	102	12	217	141	+145
6	Hakeem Olajuwon H. Olajuwon	22.7	1996-97	HOU	78	36.6	23.2	9.2	3.0	1.5	2.2	9.3	18.3	51.0	0.1	0.2	31.3	4.5	5.7	78.7	55.8	2.2	7.0	3.6	2,852	1,810	716	236	117	173	281	249	+382
7	John Stockton J. Stockton	22.1	1996-97	UTA	82	35.3	14.4	2.8	10.5	2.0	0.2	5.1	9.3	54.8	0.9	2.2	42.2	3.4	4.0	84.6	65.6	0.5	2.2	3.0	2,896	1,183	228	860	166	15	248	194	+658
8	Gary Payton G. Payton	21.8	1996-97	SEA	82	39.2	21.8	4.6	7.1	2.4	0.2	8.6	18.1	47.6	1.5	4.6	31.3	3.1	4.3	71.5	54.5	1.3	3.3	2.6	3,213	1,785	378	583	197	13	215	208	+624
9	Chris Webber C. Webber	21.8	1996-97	WAS	72	39.0	20.1	10.3	4.6	1.7	1.9	8.4	16.2	51.8	0.8	2.1	39.7	2.5	4.3	56.5	55.4	3.3	7.0	3.2	2,806	1,445	743	331	122	137	230	258	+158
10	Alonzo Mourning A. Mourning	21.6	1996-97	MIA	66	35.2	19.8	9.9	1.6	0.8	2.9	7.2	13.4	53.4	0.0	0.1	11.1	5.5	8.6	64.2	57.8	2.9	7.1	3.4	2,320	1,310	656	104	56	189	226	272	+465
11	Mitch Richmond M. Richmond	21.6	1996-97	SAC	81	38.6	25.9	3.9	4.2	1.5	0.3	8.9	19.5	45.4	2.5	5.9	42.8	5.6	6.6	86.1	57.8	0.7	3.2	2.9	3,125	2,095	319	338	118	24	237	211	-109
12	Terrell Brandon T. Brandon	21.5	1996-97	CLE	78	36.8	19.5	3.9	6.3	1.8	0.4	7.4	16.8	43.8	1.3	3.5	37.3	3.4	3.8	90.2	52.6	0.6	3.2	2.3	2,868	1,519	301	490	138	30	178	177	+128
13	Anfernee Hardaway A. Hardaway	21.4	1996-97	ORL	59	37.6	20.5	4.5	5.6	1.6	0.6	7.1	15.9	44.7	1.4	4.5	31.8	4.8	5.8	82.0	55.4	1.4	3.1	2.5	2,221	1,210	263	332	93	35	145	123	+198
14	Patrick Ewing P. Ewing	21.3	1996-97	NYK	78	37.0	22.4	10.7	2.0	0.9	2.4	8.4	17.2	48.8	0.0	0.1	22.2	5.6	7.5	75.4	54.8	2.2	8.4	3.4	2,887	1,751	834	156	69	189	269	250	+315
15	Scottie Pippen S. Pippen	21.3	1996-97	CHI	82	37.7	20.2	6.5	5.7	1.9	0.5	7.9	16.7	47.4	1.9	5.2	36.8	2.5	3.5	70.1	55.4	2.0	4.5	2.6	3,095	1,656	531	467	154	45	214	213	+807
16	Tim Hardaway T. Hardaway	20.8	1996-97	MIA	81	38.7	20.3	3.4	8.6	1.9	0.1	7.1	17.1	41.5	2.5	7.3	34.4	3.6	4.5	79.9	53.2	0.6	2.8	2.8	3,136	1,644	277	695	151	9	230	165	+535
17	Shawn Kemp S. Kemp	20.7	1996-97	SEA	81	34.0	18.7	10.0	1.9	1.5	1.0	6.5	12.7	51.0	0.1	0.4	36.4	5.6	7.5	74.2	58.3	3.4	6.6	3.5	2,750	1,516	807	156	125	81	280	320	+462
18	Mookie Blaylock M. Blaylock	20.4	1996-97	ATL	78	39.2	17.4	5.3	5.9	2.7	0.3	6.4	14.9	43.2	2.8	7.7	36.6	1.7	2.2	75.3	54.8	1.5	3.8	2.4	3,056	1,354	413	463	212	20	185	141	+585
19	Reggie Miller R. Miller	20.2	1996-97	IND	81	36.6	21.6	3.5	3.4	0.9	0.3	6.8	15.4	44.4	2.8	6.6	42.7	5.2	5.9	88.0	60.3	0.7	2.9	2.0	2,966	1,751	286	273	75	25	166	172	+99
20	Vin Baker V. Baker	20.1	1996-97	MIL	78	40.5	21.0	10.3	2.7	1.0	1.4	8.1	16.0	50.5	0.2	0.7	27.8	4.6	6.7	68.7	55.3	3.4	6.9	3.1	3,159	1,637	804	211	81	112	245	275	-63
21	Clyde Drexler C. Drexler	19.9	1996-97	HOU	62	36.6	18.0	6.0	5.7	1.9	0.6	6.4	14.5	44.2	1.9	5.4	35.5	3.2	4.3	75.0	54.8	1.9	4.1	2.5	2,271	1,114	373	354	119	36	156	151	+365
22	Latrell Sprewell L. Sprewell	19.7	1996-97	GSW	80	41.9	24.2	4.6	6.3	1.7	0.6	8.1	18.1	44.9	1.8	5.2	35.4	6.2	7.3	84.3	57.0	0.7	3.9	4.0	3,353	1,938	366	507	132	45	322	153	-215
23	Rod Strickland R. Strickland	19.7	1996-97	WAS	82	36.5	17.2	4.1	8.9	1.7	0.2	6.3	13.5	46.6	0.2	0.9	16.9	4.5	6.1	73.8	53.3	1.2	2.9	3.3	2,997	1,410	335	727	143	14	270	166	+78
24	Glen Rice G. Rice	19.7	1996-97	CHA	79	42.6	26.8	4.0	2.0	0.9	0.3	9.1	19.2	47.7	2.6	5.6	47.0	5.9	6.8	86.7	60.5	0.8	3.2	2.2	3,362	2,115	318	160	72	26	177	190	+176
25	Kendall Gill K. Gill	19.6	1996-97	NJN	82	39.0	21.8	6.1	4.0	1.9	0.6	7.9	17.7	44.3	0.9	2.7	33.6	5.2	6.5	79.7	53.0	2.2	3.9	2.7	3,199	1,789	499	326	154	46	218	225	-185