NBA & ABA Year-by-Year Playoff Leaders and Records for Defensive Rating

Active players are listed in bold
* Indicates member of the Hall of Fame.
Defensive Rating since 1973-74

Rate statistic requirements

Table
Year Lg Player DRtg Tm
2023 NBA Anthony Davis 101.98 LAL
2022 NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo 99.21 MIL
2021 NBA Joel Embiid 104.41 PHI
2020 NBA Serge Ibaka 101.43 TOR
2019 NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo 96.91 MIL
2018 NBA Victor Oladipo 98.75 IND
2017 NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo 98.50 MIL
2016 NBA Hassan Whiteside 92.21 MIA
2015 NBA Andrew Bogut 94.34 GSW
2014 NBA Paul Millsap 97.74 ATL
2013 NBA Kevin Garnett* 90.30 BOS
2012 NBA Josh Smith 93.20 ATL
2011 NBA Dwight Howard 95.73 ORL
2010 NBA Dwight Howard 92.98 ORL
2009 NBA Dwight Howard 98.35 ORL
2008 NBA Tim Duncan* 98.51 SAS
2007 NBA Jason Kidd* 94.63 NJN
2006 NBA Alonzo Mourning* 95.13 MIA
2005 NBA Ben Wallace* 93.48 DET
2004 NBA Ben Wallace* 83.91 DET
2003 NBA Ben Wallace* 90.51 DET
2002 NBA Ben Wallace* 86.41 DET
2001 NBA David Robinson* 92.42 SAS
2000 NBA David Robinson* 84.01 SAS
1999 NBA David Robinson* 87.33 SAS
1998 NBA David Robinson* 93.42 SAS
1997 NBA Alonzo Mourning* 94.64 MIA
1996 NBA Scottie Pippen* 96.07 CHI
1995 NBA David Robinson* 97.53 SAS
1994 NBA Patrick Ewing* 94.36 NYK
1993 NBA Hakeem Olajuwon* 96.56 HOU
1992 NBA Dennis Rodman* 99.35 DET
1991 NBA Scottie Pippen* 99.52 CHI
1990 NBA Bill Laimbeer 96.32 DET
1989 NBA Dennis Rodman* 99.38 DET
1988 NBA Bill Laimbeer 99.51 DET
1987 NBA Hakeem Olajuwon* 102.24 HOU
1986 NBA Bill Walton* 100.62 BOS
1985 NBA Ralph Sampson* 97.16 HOU
1984 NBA Buck Williams 99.41 NJN
1983 NBA Moses Malone* 95.76 PHI
1982 NBA Larry Bird* 94.21 BOS
1981 NBA Truck Robinson 94.51 PHO
1980 NBA Larry Bird* 95.93 BOS
1979 NBA Gar Heard 90.53 PHO
1978 NBA Caldwell Jones 93.56 PHI
1977 NBA Bill Walton* 89.53 POR
1976 NBA Elvin Hayes* 88.11 WSB
  ABA Mike Gale 100.65 SAA
1975 NBA George Johnson 87.05 GSW
  ABA Artis Gilmore* 95.43 KEN
1974 NBA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 89.90 MIL
  ABA Wendell Ladner 88.92 NYA