You’re staring at a box score and see a team hung 130 points in a win. You think, "Man, they are an absolute juggernaut." But then you look at the pace. They played 110 possessions. Suddenly, that 130 doesn't look like a masterclass; it looks like a track meet. Honestly, this is why raw points per game is a pretty garbage way to measure who actually has the best offense in the league.
If you want the real truth, you look at nba team offensive ratings.
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Basically, offensive rating (ORtg) boils everything down to efficiency. It measures how many points a team scores per 100 possessions. It levels the playing field so we can compare a slow, methodical half-court team like the 2026 Miami Heat to a high-flying, transition-heavy squad like the Denver Nuggets. Right now, the Nuggets are leading the pack with an ORtg of 120.4, but that number doesn't tell the whole story of how the league has completely transformed over the last decade.
Why the Numbers Are Exploding in 2026
Efficiency is through the roof. It’s kinda wild to think about, but what used to be an elite offensive rating ten years ago would put you in the bottom five today. In 2026, the league average is hovering around 115.5. For context, the legendary 2016-17 Warriors—the KD and Steph team—had an ORtg of 115.6. That means your average, middle-of-the-pack NBA team today is scoring as efficiently as the greatest offensive team of the last generation.
Why? It’s not just "they shoot more threes."
Sure, the volume of long-range shots is high—teams like the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are still launching over 40 threes a night. But the real secret sauce in the current nba team offensive ratings surge is shot selection. Teams have basically deleted the "long two" from their playbooks. According to Dean Oliver, the godfather of basketball analytics and author of Basketball on Paper, shooting percentage is the most heavily weighted factor in winning, and teams have finally perfected the math.
We’re seeing a massive spike in two-point efficiency because players are either shooting a three or getting all the way to the rim. There is no in-between anymore.
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The Four Factors of Offensive Success
If you want to understand why the Oklahoma City Thunder (116.9 ORtg) or the New York Knicks (117.6 ORtg) are consistently at the top, you have to look at the "Four Factors." Dean Oliver broke these down years ago, and they still hold up as the gold standard for offensive evaluation:
- Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%): This is the big one. It gives extra weight to three-pointers because, well, they're worth more. The Nuggets lead the league here at 50.2%, which is a huge reason they're sitting at the #1 spot.
- Turnover Ratio: You can't score if you don't have the ball. Simple.
- Offensive Rebounding Percentage: The Houston Rockets are currently killing everyone here, averaging 16.5 offensive boards per game. It’s like getting a second chance at a test you just failed.
- Free Throw Rate: Getting to the line is the most efficient way to score. The Lakers, led by the usual suspects, are still top-tier here, generating 118.2 points per 100 possessions partly because they live at the charity stripe.
The Denver Nuggets and the Art of the "Unstoppable" Possession
Let’s talk about Denver. Their 120.4 offensive rating isn't just a result of Nikola Jokic being a wizard, though that helps. It’s the way they manipulate space. They don't necessarily play fast—their raw PPG (122.6) is high, but their efficiency is what makes them terrifying. They lead the league in three-point percentage at 40.3%.
Think about that. Four out of every ten shots from deep go in.
When you combine that with their 50.2% overall field goal percentage, you realize there is no "correct" way to guard them. If you double the post, they kick it to a 40% shooter. If you stay home on shooters, they've got the most efficient interior scoring in the game. It’s a math problem with no solution.
The Teams Defying the "Pace" Myth
There’s this annoying misconception that you have to play fast to have a high offensive rating. Sorta true, but mostly not. Look at the Detroit Pistons this year. They are actually top 10 in offensive efficiency (113.0 ORtg) despite not having a roster full of All-Stars. They aren't the fastest team, but they’ve limited their turnovers and focused on high-percentage looks.
On the flip side, you have the Utah Jazz. They score 119.3 PPG, which sounds great! But their ORtg is 112.3. Why the gap? Because they play at a breakneck speed. They get more "bites at the apple," but they aren't actually chewing very well. They’re 19th in three-point percentage and middle-of-the-road in turnovers.
This is exactly why nba team offensive ratings matter more than the points you see on the nightly news highlights. The Jazz look like an offensive powerhouse if you only look at the scoreboard, but the analytics tell you they're actually pretty inefficient.
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The Problem with Individual vs. Team Ratings
One thing that trips people up is looking at a player's individual offensive rating and assuming it correlates 1:1 with the team's success. It doesn't. A bench player might have a 125 ORtg because they only play 8 minutes against second-unit defenses and only take open layups.
The team rating is the "truth." It accounts for the gravity of stars. When Steph Curry is on the floor, the Warriors' team ORtg jumps because the defense is panicking, even if Steph isn't the one taking the shot. That "gravity" is captured in the team's points per 100 possessions, making it the most reliable metric for seeing who actually has the best system.
Actionable Insights: How to Use These Stats
If you’re a fan, a bettor, or just a nerd who likes winning arguments at the bar, here is how you should actually use nba team offensive ratings:
- Ignore PPG for the first month of the season. Pace is volatile early on. Look at ORtg to see which teams actually have a sustainable offensive process.
- Watch the "Last 10 Games" trend. Offensive rating can fluctuate based on injuries. If a team like the 76ers has an ORtg of 112.4 on the season but 118.0 over their last ten, it usually means a key playmaker is back or they’ve tweaked their spacing.
- Check the Home/Away splits. Some teams, like the Knicks (119.4 at home vs. 114.4 away), are drastically different environments. Role players shoot significantly better at home, which spikes the team's overall efficiency.
- Look for the "Double Top 10" teams. Historically, teams that rank in the top 10 for both offensive and defensive rating are the ones that actually make the Finals. Right now, the Thunder and Nuggets are the ones to watch.
The league is only getting more efficient. As player tracking data gets better, coaches are optimizing every single square inch of the court. We might be looking at a 125.0 league average in another five years. For now, keep your eyes on the points per 100 possessions—it’s the only way to see through the noise of the modern NBA.
Check the latest efficiency stats on sites like Basketball-Reference or TeamRankings every Monday. The numbers shift fast, and a three-game shooting slump can tank a team's rating, but over the long haul, these ratings are the most predictive tool we have for identifying real contenders. Focus on eFG% and turnover rates if you want to see who is actually "good" versus who is just playing fast.