The NBA Power Rankings are based upon team offensive and defensive efficiency metrics. For every team, offensive and defensive efficiency are calculated – the ability to generate points per possession. For this purpose, a possession ends with either:
- A turnover
- A made basket
- A missed basket that is rebounded by the defense
As such the calculation for number of possessions is: Field Goal Attempts + 0.44 x Free Throw Attempts + Turnovers – Offensive Rebounds
Offensive efficiency is points scored divided by possessions as calculated above. We report our numbers below based on the league average number of possessions per game. Basically, it is a measure of how many points this offense would score in a pace-neutral world.
Defensive efficiency is calculated the same way, except that instead of points allowed, we remove opposing free throws made and instead multiple the free throw attempts allowed by the league average FT%. Basically, we do not penalize a team’s defense for an opponent making their FTs unusually well.
The total margin is Offensive Efficiency – Defensive Efficiency + 3.5 * (Pct of home games). This margin is added to the margin of its opponents (excluding head to head) and opponents’ opponents. In the NBA where schedules are almost identical, this actually does not matter too much – but it is included for posterity.
Rankings updated through games of 2/20/2012
| Rank | Team | W | L | Off | Def | Road | SOS | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heat | 25 | 7 | 101.256 (1) | 91.892 (6) | 1.859 | 1.68 (18) | 12.904 |
| 2 | Thunder | 25 | 7 | 100.243 (2) | 92.872 (12) | 1.969 | 1.72 (16) | 11.06 |
| 3 | Bulls | 26 | 8 | 99.293 (3) | 90.208 (3) | 2.059 | -0.177 (29) | 10.967 |
| 4 | Sixers | 20 | 12 | 97.528 (8) | 89.541 (1) | 1.422 | 0.579 (28) | 9.987 |
| 5 | Spurs | 23 | 9 | 98.345 (6) | 94.369 (15) | 1.969 | 2.654 (4) | 8.598 |
| 6 | Mavericks | 21 | 12 | 93.946 (20) | 90.379 (4) | 1.591 | 2.931 (2) | 8.089 |
| 7 | Hawks | 19 | 13 | 95.032 (14) | 91.799 (5) | 1.969 | 2.11 (10) | 7.312 |
| 8 | Nuggets | 18 | 15 | 98.788 (4) | 95.449 (17) | 1.803 | 2.086 (11) | 7.228 |
| 9 | Blazers | 17 | 16 | 95.723 (12) | 91.925 (7) | 1.697 | 1.315 (24) | 6.81 |
| 10 | Lakers | 19 | 13 | 95.164 (13) | 92.871 (11) | 1.75 | 2.561 (6) | 6.604 |
| 11 | Magic | 21 | 12 | 95.744 (11) | 92.824 (10) | 1.591 | 1.66 (20) | 6.171 |
| 12 | Clippers | 19 | 11 | 98.544 (5) | 96.85 (23) | 1.75 | 2.565 (5) | 6.008 |
| 13 | Rockets | 19 | 14 | 96.828 (9) | 94.589 (16) | 1.697 | 1.832 (15) | 5.769 |
| 14 | Grizzlies | 18 | 15 | 93.363 (21) | 93.026 (13) | 1.697 | 2.846 (3) | 4.88 |
| 15 | Pacers | 19 | 12 | 94.333 (17) | 92.329 (9) | 2.032 | 0.819 (26) | 4.855 |
| 16 | Celtics | 15 | 16 | 92.525 (23) | 89.885 (2) | 1.355 | 0.585 (27) | 4.58 |
| 17 | Timberwolves | 16 | 17 | 94.453 (16) | 93.733 (14) | 1.485 | 2.049 (12) | 4.254 |
| 18 | Warriors | 12 | 17 | 98.266 (7) | 99.008 (27) | 1.328 | 2.405 (8) | 2.991 |
| 19 | Jazz | 15 | 16 | 95.964 (10) | 97.38 (24) | 1.468 | 2.178 (9) | 2.23 |
| 20 | Bucks | 13 | 19 | 93.978 (19) | 95.901 (20) | 1.859 | 1.684 (17) | 1.621 |
| 21 | Suns | 14 | 19 | 94.187 (18) | 96.413 (21) | 1.909 | 1.677 (19) | 1.36 |
| 22 | Knicks | 16 | 17 | 92.505 (24) | 92.265 (8) | 1.591 | -0.793 (30) | 1.038 |
| 23 | Hornets | 7 | 24 | 90.889 (26) | 95.611 (19) | 1.581 | 3.236 (1) | 0.095 |
| 24 | Cavaliers | 12 | 17 | 93.057 (22) | 96.52 (22) | 1.69 | 1.42 (23) | -0.353 |
| 25 | Raptors | 9 | 23 | 90.345 (28) | 95.455 (18) | 1.859 | 1.017 (25) | -2.234 |
| 26 | Kings | 10 | 21 | 91.112 (25) | 99.306 (28) | 2.145 | 2.552 (7) | -3.497 |
| 27 | Nets | 10 | 24 | 94.998 (15) | 103.239 (30) | 1.956 | 1.58 (22) | -4.706 |
| 28 | Pistons | 11 | 22 | 90.782 (27) | 98.965 (25) | 1.591 | 1.656 (21) | -4.936 |
| 29 | Wizards | 7 | 25 | 89.27 (29) | 98.966 (26) | 1.75 | 1.937 (14) | -6.009 |
| 30 | Bobcats | 4 | 27 | 86.462 (30) | 101.179 (29) | 2.032 | 1.976 (13) | -10.708 |
