single season best defensive rating in nba history teams post merger

Ben Wallace has the lowest defensive rating by a big man in a season, with an 87.5 rating in 2003-04.

Interpreted as:

single season best defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games in NBA history teams post merger

	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	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
10	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
11	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
12	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
13	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
14	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
15	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
16	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
17	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
18	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
19	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
20	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
21	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
22	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
23	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
24	David Robinson D. Robinson	92.0	2000-01	SAS	80	29.6	14.4	8.6	1.5	1.0	2.5	5.0	10.3	48.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.4	5.9	74.7	55.9	2.6	6.0	1.5	2,371	1,151	691	116	80	197	122	212	+562
25	George McGinnis G. McGinnis	92.1	1975-76	PHI	77	38.3	23.0	12.6	4.7	2.6	0.5	8.4	20.2	41.7				6.2	8.3	74.0	48.2	3.4	9.2		2,946	1,769	967	359	198	41		334

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StatMuse has season-level data for defensive rating going back to the 1973-74 season.

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More Pistons Stats

Team Leaders

PPG

29.2

Cunningham

RPG

8.5

Duren

APG

7.5

Cunningham

Team Rankings

ORTG

117.9

10th

DRTG

109.7

2nd

NETRTG

8.2

3rd

3P%

35.6

17th

2025-26 Conference Standings

	TEAM	W	L	PCT	GB
1	Pistons	60	22	.732
2	Celtics	56	26	.683	4.0
3	Knicks	53	29	.646	7.0
4	Cavaliers	52	30	.634	8.0
5	Raptors	46	36	.561	14.0

Schedule

DATE	MATCHUP			TIME (ET)
Wed 5/13	CLE	@	DET	8:00 PM
Fri 5/15	DET	@	CLE	7:00 PM
Sun 5/17	CLE	@	DET	1:00 PM

Last Game

Pistons

2 - 2

103

Final

112

Cavaliers

2 - 2

Mon 11 May 2026

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

Playoffs PPG Leaders

29.2

Cunningham

29.1

Gilgeous-Alexander

27.4

Brunson

Playoffs RPG Leaders

13.2

Jokić

10.7

Tatum

10.5

Wembanyama

Playoffs APG Leaders

9.5

Jokić

8.6

Barnes

7.5

Cunningham

Playoffs SPG Leaders

2.8

Wagner

2.5

Eason

2.4

Smart

Playoffs BPG Leaders

4.4

Wembanyama

2.0

Allen

1.8

Holmgren

Playoffs 3PM Leaders

3.6

Bane

3.5

Brooks

3.3

Hachimura

Playoffs TS% Leaders

150.0

Richardson

113.6

Davison

113.6

Proctor

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

Playoffs ORtg Rankings

127.8

126.0

115.7

114.1

113.7

111.7

Playoffs DRtg Rankings

104.3

105.7

107.0

107.4

108.5

110.2

Playoffs NetRtg Rankings

20.3

17.5

11.3

3.6

3.0

0.8

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

Playoffs FanDuel Points Leaders

510.3

Cunningham

443

Towns

431.9

James

Playoffs DraftKings Points Leaders

551.3

Cunningham

458

Towns

451.3

James

Playoffs USG% Leaders

44.1

Lanier

40.4

Smith

40.1

Williams

Playoffs MPG Leaders

44.0

Thompson

42.0

Smith

41.0

Durant

Playoffs FanDuel PTS/MIN Leaders

2.30

Sasser

2.00

Richardson

2.00

Lanier

Playoffs DraftKings PTS/MIN Leaders

2.33

Richardson

2.20

Sasser

2.00

Lanier

NBA 2025-26 Betting

Best Record ATS

50-34

53-38

50-37-1

51-38

47-36

45-37

Worst Record ATS

33-49

39-54

36-48

38-50

36-46

NBA 2025-26 Standings

	Eastern	W	L	PCT	GB
1	Pistons - z	60	22	.732
2	Celtics - x	56	26	.683	4.0
3	Knicks - x	53	29	.646	7.0
4	Cavaliers - x	52	30	.634	8.0
5	Raptors - x	46	36	.561	14.0
6	Hawks - x	46	36	.561	14.0
7	76ers - x	45	37	.549	15.0
8	Magic - x	45	37	.549	15.0
9	Hornets	44	38	.537	16.0
10	Heat	43	39	.524	17.0
11	Bucks - e	32	50	.390	28.0
12	Bulls - e	31	51	.378	29.0
13	Nets - e	20	62	.244	40.0
14	Pacers - e	19	63	.232	41.0
15	Wizards - e	17	65	.207	43.0

	Western	W	L	PCT	GB
1	Thunder - z	64	18	.780
2	Spurs - x	62	20	.756	2.0
3	Nuggets - x	54	28	.659	10.0
4	Lakers - x	53	29	.646	11.0
5	Rockets - x	52	30	.634	12.0
6	Timberwolves - x	49	33	.598	15.0
7	Suns - x	45	37	.549	19.0
8	Trail Blazers - x	42	40	.512	22.0
9	Clippers	42	40	.512	22.0
10	Warriors	37	45	.451	27.0
11	Pelicans - e	26	56	.317	38.0
12	Mavericks - e	26	56	.317	38.0
13	Grizzlies - e	25	57	.305	39.0
14	Kings - e	22	60	.268	42.0
15	Jazz - e	22	60	.268	42.0