A practical example
The Philadelphia 76ers last defeated the Phoenix Suns 123 – 110. That is the raw score. But in terms of rating? Assuming the 103.34 average number of possessions in this game, the 76ers had a defensive rating of 106.4 and an offensive rating of 119.0 for that game. So which is the true number?
Air Alamo
Defensive rating is gaining in popularity as it attempts to create a comparable platform to use when rating players of different teams, different playing times, and different roles.
To that extent, it’s effective. It allows fans and analysts alike to judge the defensive impact of Joel Embiid, who has been limited in playing time and frequency, to a player like DeAndre Jordan, who typically plays every game in an NBA season.
How to use defensive rating
In the comparisons of dissimilar players, it’s a usefult tool in measuring whether a player has defense capability or not. But that utility of comparing teams begins to fade when you start comparing NBA teams.
The game scoreboard does a pretty good job of that already. If the opponent is scoring more points that your team, you need to improve your team’s defense.