Net Rating
The difference between a team's Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating. Positive means you outscore opponents; negative means you don't.
Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating each tell half the story. Net Rating combines them into the simplest possible summary of whether a team is good. A team with a Net Rating of +5 scores 5 more points per 100 possessions than it allows — that's a sustainable winning formula. It's also the most predictive single number for playoff success and final standings.
Benchmarks
- League average: 0 (by definition — every point scored is allowed by someone else)
- Good: above +3
- Elite: above +5
In 2025–26, Olympiacos led the league with a Net Rating of +10.6, a dominant margin that separated them from the pack. Real Madrid followed at +7.0, then Valencia Basket at +5.6 and Žalgiris at +5.3. Partizan sat at –6.7, while ASVEL finished at –9.9, the worst in the competition.
The 2025–26 season showcases Net Rating at its most emphatic. Olympiacos posted +10.6 — nearly double the next-best team — combining the league's best offense (122.3 Offensive Rating) with the second-best defense (111.7 Defensive Rating). At 29–12, they translated dominance into wins. Real Madrid (+7.0) and Valencia Basket (+5.6) also cleared the elite threshold, while Fenerbahçe led the league in Defensive Rating (111.3) but ranked only fifth in Net Rating (+2.6) due to a more modest offense. Net Rating rewards balance — excel on both ends, and the margin reveals itself.
Tensions
A team that beats weak opponents by 15 points per 100 possessions might have a better Net Rating than a team that beats strong opponents by 6. Context matters. Two teams with Net Ratings of +4 can be in very different positions depending on their schedule strength.
After five games, a Net Rating can swing wildly based on a few clutch shots or garbage time blowouts. Over 34 games it becomes one of the most reliable indicators in basketball. Never read too much into early-season Net Rating — and never dismiss it over a full season.
Formula
Net Rating = Offensive Rating − Defensive Rating
NET RTG: Net Rating / OFF RTG: Offensive Rating / DEF RTG: Defensive Rating
