Defensive Rebound %
The percentage of available defensive rebounds a player or team secures — measuring how consistently they end opponent possessions after a missed shot.
A missed shot only ends an opponent's possession if the defense secures the rebound. Teams that let opponents grab offensive boards give up second-chance points — among the easiest points in basketball to prevent. DRB% measures how reliably a team cleans the glass on the defensive end, normalised for pace so that fast-playing teams aren't penalised for facing more rebound situations.
Benchmarks
- League average: ~68%
- Good: above 70%
- Elite: above 71%
In 2025–26, Real Madrid led with 71.5%, followed by Olympiacos at 70.8% and Crvena Zvezda at 70.4%. Teams below 66% are giving opponents significant second-chance opportunities.
Real Madrid's league-leading 71.5% DRB% in 2025–26 reflected elite defensive rebounding discipline from a frontcourt anchored by Walter Tavares — who averaged 4.1 defensive boards per game. Finishing 27–15 and advancing deep into the playoffs, their ability to close possessions cleanly proved essential to their 112.9 defensive rating. Olympiacos at 70.8% paired similar board control with the league's best defense (111.7 DRTG), showing how defensive rebounding feeds directly into championship-caliber units.
Tensions
At the elite level, the vast majority of defensive rebounds are secured without a fight — the defense has better positioning. The difference between a 66% and a 71% DRB% is mostly about discipline and box-out systems, not athleticism. This means DRB% is as much a coaching metric as a talent metric.
A team that forces opponents into poor shot attempts will face more misses — and therefore more rebound opportunities on the defensive end. A high DRB% might partly reflect great shot defense rather than great rebounding. The two often travel together, but they're distinct skills.
Formula
DRB% = Team Defensive Rebounds / (Team Defensive Rebounds + Opponent Offensive Rebounds) × 100
DRB%: Defensive Rebound Percentage / DRB: Defensive Rebounds / OREB_opp: Opponent Offensive Rebounds
