nba mvp lowest player efficiency rating after 1970

Since 1970-71, Dave Cowens has the worst PER by an MVP in a season, with an 18.1 rating in 1972-73.

Interpreted as:
NBA mvp in a regular season lowest player efficiency rating by a player after 1970
NAMEPERMVPSEASONTMGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTPGMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOVPF+/-
1Dave Cowens
D. Cowens
18.1
1
1972-73
82
41.8
20.5
16.2
4.1
9.0
20.0
45.2
2.5
3.2
77.9
48.1
3,425
1,684
1,329
333
311
2Steve Nash
S. Nash
22
1
2004-05
75
34.3
15.5
3.3
11.5
1.0
0.1
5.7
11.4
50.2
1.3
2.9
43.1
2.8
3.2
88.7
60.6
0.8
2.6
3.3
2,573
1,165
249
861
74
6
245
136
+664
3Steve Nash
S. Nash
23.3
1
2005-06
79
35.4
18.8
4.2
10.5
0.8
0.2
6.8
13.4
51.2
1.9
4.3
43.9
3.3
3.5
92.1
63.2
0.6
3.6
3.5
2,796
1,489
333
826
61
12
276
120
+472
4Derrick Rose
D. Rose
23.5
1
2010-11
81
37.4
25.0
4.1
7.7
1.0
0.6
8.8
19.7
44.5
1.6
4.8
33.2
5.9
6.9
85.8
55.0
1.0
3.1
3.4
3,026
2,026
330
623
85
51
278
136
+498
5Moses Malone
M. Malone
23.7
1
1978-79
82
41.3
24.8
17.6
1.8
1.0
1.5
8.7
16.2
54.0
7.3
9.9
73.9
60.4
7.2
10.5
4.0
3,390
2,031
1,444
147
79
119
326
223
6Allen Iverson
A. Iverson
24
1
2000-01
71
42.0
31.1
3.8
4.6
2.5
0.3
10.7
25.5
42.0
1.4
4.3
32.0
8.2
10.1
81.4
51.8
0.7
3.1
3.3
2,979
2,207
273
325
178
20
237
147
+368
7Larry Bird
L. Bird
24.2
1
1983-84
79
38.3
24.2
10.1
6.6
1.8
0.9
9.6
19.5
49.2
0.2
0.9
24.7
4.7
5.3
88.8
55.2
2.3
7.8
3.0
3,028
1,908
796
520
144
69
237
197
8Kobe Bryant
K. Bryant
24.2
1
2007-08
82
38.9
28.3
6.3
5.4
1.8
0.5
9.5
20.6
45.9
1.8
5.1
36.1
7.6
9.0
84.0
57.6
1.1
5.2
3.1
3,192
2,323
517
441
151
40
257
227
+598
9Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
K. Abdul-Jabbar
24.4
1
1973-74
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
10Bill Walton
B. Walton
24.8
1
1977-78
58
33.3
18.9
13.2
5.0
1.0
2.5
7.9
15.2
52.2
3.1
4.2
72.0
55.4
2.0
11.2
3.6
1,929
1,097
766
291
60
146
206
145
11Julius Erving
J. Erving
25.1
1
1980-81
82
35.0
24.6
8.0
4.4
2.1
1.8
9.7
18.6
52.1
0.0
0.2
22.2
5.1
6.5
78.7
57.2
3.0
5.0
3.2
2,874
2,014
657
364
173
147
266
233
12Moses Malone
M. Malone
25.1
1
1982-83
78
37.5
24.5
15.3
1.3
1.1
2.0
8.4
16.7
50.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
7.7
10.1
76.1
57.8
5.7
9.6
3.4
2,922
1,908
1,194
101
89
157
264
206
13Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
25.2
1
1997-98
82
38.8
28.7
5.8
3.5
1.7
0.5
10.7
23.1
46.5
0.4
1.5
23.8
6.9
8.8
78.4
53.3
1.6
4.2
2.3
3,181
2,357
475
283
141
45
185
151
+598
14Hakeem Olajuwon
H. Olajuwon
25.3
1
1993-94
80
41.0
27.3
11.9
3.6
1.6
3.7
11.2
21.2
52.8
0.1
0.2
42.1
4.9
6.8
71.6
56.5
2.9
9.1
3.4
3,277
2,184
955
287
128
297
271
289
15Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
K. Abdul-Jabbar
25.3
1
1979-80
82
38.3
24.8
10.8
4.5
1.0
3.4
10.2
16.9
60.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.4
5.8
76.5
63.9
2.3
8.5
3.6
3,143
2,034
886
371
81
280
297
216
16Karl Malone
K. Malone
25.6
1
1998-99
49
37.4
23.8
9.4
4.1
1.3
0.6
8.0
16.3
49.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
7.7
9.8
78.8
57.7
2.2
7.3
3.3
1,832
1,164
463
201
62
28
162
134
+355
17Larry Bird
L. Bird
25.6
1
1985-86
82
38.0
25.8
9.8
6.8
2.0
0.6
9.7
19.6
49.6
1.0
2.4
42.3
5.4
6.0
89.6
58.0
2.3
7.5
3.2
3,113
2,115
805
557
166
51
266
182
18Bob McAdoo
B. McAdoo
25.8
1
1974-75
82
43.2
34.5
14.1
2.2
1.1
2.1
13.4
26.1
51.2
7.8
9.7
80.5
56.9
3.7
10.3
3,539
2,831
1,155
179
92
174
278
19Charles Barkley
C. Barkley
25.9
1
1992-93
76
37.6
25.6
12.2
5.1
1.6
1.0
9.4
18.1
52.0
0.9
2.9
30.5
5.9
7.7
76.5
59.6
3.1
9.1
3.1
2,859
1,944
928
385
119
74
233
196
20Larry Bird
L. Bird
26.5
1
1984-85
80
39.5
28.7
10.5
6.6
1.6
1.2
11.5
22.0
52.2
0.7
1.6
42.7
5.0
5.7
88.2
58.5
2.1
8.5
3.1
3,161
2,295
842
531
129
98
248
208
21Magic Johnson
M. Johnson
26.6
1
1989-90
79
37.2
22.3
6.6
11.5
1.7
0.4
6.9
14.4
48.0
1.3
3.5
38.4
7.2
8.1
89.0
62.2
1.6
5.0
3.7
2,937
1,765
522
907
132
34
289
167
22Moses Malone
M. Malone
26.8
1
1981-82
81
42.0
31.1
14.7
1.8
0.9
1.5
11.7
22.5
51.9
0.0
0.1
0.0
7.8
10.2
76.2
57.6
6.9
7.8
3.6
3,398
2,520
1,188
142
76
125
294
208
23Magic Johnson
M. Johnson
26.9
1
1988-89
77
37.5
22.5
7.9
12.8
1.8
0.3
7.5
14.8
50.9
0.8
2.4
31.4
6.7
7.3
91.1
62.5
1.4
6.4
4.1
2,886
1,730
607
988
138
22
312
172
24Tim Duncan
T. Duncan
26.9
1
2002-03
81
39.3
23.3
12.9
3.9
0.7
2.9
8.8
17.2
51.3
0.1
0.3
27.3
5.6
7.8
71.0
56.4
3.2
9.7
3.1
3,181
1,884
1,043
316
55
237
248
231
+557
25Tim Duncan
T. Duncan
27
1
2001-02
82
40.6
25.5
12.7
3.7
0.7
2.5
9.3
18.3
50.8
0.0
0.1
10.0
6.8
8.5
79.9
57.6
3.3
9.4
3.2
3,329
2,089
1,042
307
61
203
263
217
+563

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TEAMWLPCTGB
1
60
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.732
2
Celtics Celtics
56
26
.683
4.0
3
53
29
.646
7.0
4
52
30
.634
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46
36
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NBA 2025-26 Standings

EasternWLPCTGB
1
60
22
.732
2
56
26
.683
4.0
3
53
29
.646
7.0
4
52
30
.634
8.0
5
46
36
.561
14.0
6
Hawks Hawks - x
46
36
.561
14.0
7
76ers 76ers - x
45
37
.549
15.0
8
Magic Magic - x
45
37
.549
15.0
9
44
38
.537
16.0
10
43
39
.524
17.0
11
Bucks Bucks - e
32
50
.390
28.0
12
Bulls Bulls - e
31
51
.378
29.0
13
Nets Nets - e
20
62
.244
40.0
14
19
63
.232
41.0
15
17
65
.207
43.0
WesternWLPCTGB
1
64
18
.780
2
Spurs Spurs - x
62
20
.756
2.0
3
54
28
.659
10.0
4
53
29
.646
11.0
5
52
30
.634
12.0
6
49
33
.598
15.0
7
Suns Suns - x
45
37
.549
19.0
8
42
40
.512
22.0
9
42
40
.512
22.0
10
37
45
.451
27.0
11
26
56
.317
38.0
12
26
56
.317
38.0
13
25
57
.305
39.0
14
Kings Kings - e
22
60
.268
42.0
15
Jazz Jazz - e
22
60
.268
42.0