Defensive Rating - DRtg

What is Defensive Rating - DRtg?

A metric that estimates how many points an individual player allows per 100 team possessions. This concept is also used to determine a team's points allowed per 100 possessions.

Sporting Charts explains Defensive Rating - DRtg

Defensive Rating uses the same theoretical base as Offensive Rating, but looks at points allowed as opposed to points produced. This statistic actually started out as a way to determine how many points a team allowed per 100 possessions.

However, the originator of this formula, Dean Oliver, moved this concept to the player level as a way to estimate a player's defensive contribution to his team. Oliver details the player-specific version of Defensive Rating, along with many other key statistical concepts, in his landmark 2003 book Basketball on Paper.

Some of the all-time leaders in this category include Elmore Smith, Gar Heard, Dave Cowens, David Robinson and Clifford Ray.