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

Interpreted as:

lowest defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games by a player in a season

	NAME	DRTG	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	Ben Wallace B. Wallace	87.5	2003-04	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
2	Elvin Hayes E. Hayes	87.7	1974-75	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
3	David Robinson D. Robinson	88.0	1998-99	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
4	Bob Lanier B. Lanier	88.0	1973-74	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
5	Wes Unseld W. Unseld	88.4	1974-75	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
6	Tim Duncan T. Duncan	88.5	2003-04	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
7	Elvin Hayes E. Hayes	88.7	1973-74	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
8	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar K. Abdul-Jabbar	88.8	1973-74	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
9	Victor Wembanyama V. Wembanyama	89.0	2025-26	SAS	4	32.3	31.0	13.8	2.8	1.5	4.8	11.0	18.3	60.3	1.0	2.8	36.4	8.0	10.0	80.0	68.4	1.8	12.0	1.5	129	124	55	11	6	19	6	14	+67
10	Clifford Ray C. Ray	89.3	1973-74	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
11	Bobby Jones B. Jones	89.9	1976-77	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
12	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar K. Abdul-Jabbar	90.0	1975-76	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
13	Ben Wallace B. Wallace	90.0	2002-03	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
14	Dave Cowens D. Cowens	90.4	1973-74	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
15	Nate Thurmond N. Thurmond	90.5	1974-75	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
16	Marcus Camby M. Camby	90.5	2000-01	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
17	Dave Cowens D. Cowens	90.7	1974-75	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
18	Curtis Perry C. Perry	91.0	1973-74	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
19	Elvin Hayes E. Hayes	91.1	1975-76	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
20	Patrick Ewing P. Ewing	91.2	1998-99	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
21	Bill Walton B. Walton	91.3	1976-77	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
22	Sam Lacey S. Lacey	91.5	1974-75	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
23	Kevin Garnett K. Garnett	91.5	2003-04	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
24	Tim Duncan T. Duncan	91.5	1998-99	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
25	Elmore Smith E. Smith	91.6	1973-74	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