When it comes to efficiency in the NBA, there are many ways in which it can be measured. The most common statistic used to measure player efficiency is a stat known as PER. Developed by John Hollinger, PER is a stat that became popular during the 2010s and was known as an important advancement in player statistics in the NBA.
PER takes into account positive results such as shots made, free throws made, three-pointers made, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals. It also takes into account negative results such as turnovers, missed shots, and fouls committed. Using this formula, a rating is then given to a player for their performance. In a season, a PER of 15.0 is considered average while anything from 22.5 to 25.0 is considered an All-Star, and anything 35.0 or above is considered an all-time great season.
With this in mind, we have decided to go over the highest PERs ever assigned to the top five players at every position. We will then highlight the efficiency of those players and discuss their highest PER seasons and rate them accordingly. From point guard to center, there will be surprises and a nice mixture of both current and legendary players who make up the history of the NBA. Get ready for a dive into the total package of basketball, numbers, and statistics.
These are the 5 most efficient players per position in NBA history.
Point Guards
1. Chris Paul – 24.34 PER
2. Magic Johnson – 24.11 PER
3. Stephen Curry – 23.84 PER
4. Oscar Robertson – 23.19 PER
5. Jerry West – 22.91 PER
The beauty of PER is that we have been able to go back in time and assign a rating to the players of the past. Still, with this formula, we get off to a surprising start in the point guard category, with the all-time leader at the point guard position being Chris Paul. I can hear the comments from those claiming this is a flawed stat because it has Paul, a zero-time NBA champion, over players with multiple rings. Well, no one said being the most efficient was guaranteed an NBA championship, but it helps.
Paul has a career PER of 24.34 which ranks 16th in NBA history and first for point guards. Although he has never led the NBA in PER, he has recorded 16 seasons with a PER of 20.0 or better in 18 seasons played. The 20.0 measure makes him a borderline All-STar. His most efficient season came in 2008-09 with the New Orleans Hornets when he recorded a PER of 30.0 averaging 22.8 PPG while leading the NBA in assists with 11.0 APG and steals with 2.8 SPG. He finished fifth in MVP voting that season so maybe there is something to this PER thing, huh?
Magic Johnson is a five-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, and three-time Finals MVP. Magic was selected recently by us as the most efficient point guard of all time, and his outstanding career tells us why. Johnson never recorded a season with a PER under 20.0, which means even at his worst, he was a borderline All-Star. Johnson’s career-high PER season came in 1987 when he won the MVP award, NBA championship, and Finals MVP award with a PER of 26.2.
When it comes to shooting with efficiency and volume, nobody has done it better than Stephen Curry in the history of the league. As an overall performer, it has been more of the same. Stephen Curry’s career PER ranks 20th in NBA history and has remained above 21.0 every year since 2011-12. He led the NBA one time in PER during his historic and unanimous MVP season with a 31.5 PER which ranks among the greatest individual seasons ever. He also has four seasons above 25.0 PER which would make him a solid MVP candidate for those years.
The final two point guards who had the most efficient seasons, according to PER, were rivals in the 1960s. Oscar Robertson was never a league leader in PER, but according to the scale, he had eight seasons that warranted MVP consideration. Jerry West has the 28th-highest PER in NBA history. West led the NBA in 1969 and 1970 in PER with back-to-back seasons of a 22.0 rating or higher. According to the scale, he had multiple seasons that fell shy of the MVP threshold as well but 12 seasons that were on the cusp of it with a rating above 22.0.
Shooting Guards
1. Michael Jordan – 27.91 PER
2. James Harden – 24.35 PER
3. Dwyane Wade – 23.48 PER
4. Kobe Bryant – 22.90 PER
5. Tracy McGrady – 22.13 PER
As you can see, the list of shooting guards is also packed to the rim with talent. Kicking things off, Michael Jordan holds the NBA record for career PER with a 27.91 rating, but what else would you expect from the GOAT? Jordan was the NBA’s leader in PER every season from 1987 through 1993, the years leading up to and including his first three-peat as NBA champion. In his career, Jordan had 10 seasons that warranted strong MVP conversation and four seasons with a rating over 31.0, meaning they were among the greatest seasons ever.
James Harden is another shooting guard who was super efficient at the peak of his career with the Houston Rockets. Obviously, his torrid scoring helps with his high PER standing at 15th in NBA history. Harden led the NBA in PER in his 2018 MVP season and was in the conversation for four straight seasons from 2017 through 202 with a PER of over 27.0. It is no surprise that Harden’s peak PER seasons came as he won three scoring titles averaging over 30.0 PPG.
Dwyane Wade being ranked as the third-most efficient shooting guard ever should surprise nobody. Wade was efficient as a scorer and playmaker in his career, methodical with every move he made. Wade was never an MVP, but he did lead the Heat to three NBA titles during his career, so let’s see where his PER stood. He led the NBA in PER with a 28.9 rating in 2006-07, one year after his first NBA title. In 2009 and 2010, he had MVP-caliber seasons with a PER of over 28.0 as well.
The final two players on this list are two all-time greats with different reputations as players, but both are considered to be inefficient players overall. Kobe Bryant ranks 28th in NBA history with a 22.90 PER. He never led the NBA in the metric and had three seasons that warranted MVP consideration, including 2006, an MVP award that should have been his. Tracy McGrady was a scoring champion and MVP candidate whose PER went over 30.0 at his peak. McGrady’s all-time great season came in 2003 with the Magic when he averaged 32.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.5 APG.
Small Forwards
1. LeBron James – 27.22 PER
2. Kevin Durant – 25.29 PER
3. Larry Bird – 23.50 PER
4. Kawhi Leonard – 23.42 PER
5. Elgin Baylor – 22.72 PER
Who else could possibly lead off the small forward category besides arguably the greatest player in NBA history, LeBron James? James’ IQ and superb efficiency have long been on display as a scorer, playmaker, and overall impact on his team’s success. James is a six-time league leader in PER with a total of four seasons above 30.0 which makes them borderline all-time great. James’ efficiency has led him to four NBA titles, four Finals MVP awards, four MVP awards, the NBA’s all-time scoring record, and a ton of other individual milestones we may never see hit again over the course of 20 years in the NBA.
Right behind James in the ninth spot in NBA history for PER is one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history, Kevin Durant. As a multiple-time 50/40/90 and the first ever 55-40-90 season in NBA history, Durant’s spot in the top 10 overall is no surprise. Durant led the NBA in his lone MVP season in 2014 with a 29.8 PER but also has four other seasons considered MVP-worthy with a rating over 27.0. Durant’s four scoring titles aid his top ranking here as well, making him one of the most efficient players in NBA history.
Larry Bird is in the same realm as Durant when it comes to efficiency scoring the ball and recording 50/40/90 campaigns. Bird may rank 23rd in NBA history in PER overall, but at his peak, he was untouchable. Bird led the NBA in PER in 1985 and 1986, the seasons in which he claimed his second and third straight MVP award, as well as led his Celtics to the NBA Finals. He also had seasons that warranted MVP discussion in 1987 and 1988 before back issues began to rear their ugly heads.
As previously mentioned, using PER is tough to do on the defensive end because blocks and steals do not tell the entire story. Enter Kawhi Leonard as exhibit A. Leonard has never been an MVP but does have two championships and two Finals MVPs to his name. He also owns five seasons since 2016 that deserve recognition as MVP-caliber seasons with a PER of 26.0 or better. Considering his competition, Elgin Baylor was almost never in the real hunt for MVP but did lead the NBA in PER in 1961 with a 28.1 rating and finished third as well as seasons with over 26.0 PER in 1962 and 1963 in which he finished top five.
Power Forwards
1. Anthony Davis – 26.96 PER
2. Bob Pettit – 25.45 PER
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 24.92 PER
4. Charles Barkley – 24.63 PER
5. Tim Duncan – 24.22 PER
If PER did a slightly better job at factoring in defense, this list might look quite different, but the power forward position is stacked as far as efficiency goes. Coming in as number one, for now, is Anthony Davis, who, despite the injury struggles, has been as efficient as anyone in the NBA when on the court. Davis ranks fourth in NBA history with a 26.96 PER. He had two seasons with over a 30.0 PER in 2015 when he led the NBA and in 2019, his final season in New Orleans. He has three other seasons deemed MVP-worthy with a PER over 27.0, including 2020, when he helped the Lakers win an NBA championship.
Bob Pettit graced the court almost 60 seasons ago with the Hawks and remains one of the most efficient power forwards to ever play the game. Pettit was a two-time MVP and the only man to ever take down Bill Russell’s Celtics in the NBA Finals. Pettit led the NBA in PER every year from 1956 through 1959 which included both of his MVP seasons as well as his championship season. He never had a PER under 22.0 for any season in his career and had two seasons in which he eclipsed 28.0.
Over the last five seasons, it would be hard to argue that any player has been more efficient than Giannis Antetokounmpo. Well, other than one player who has caught up to him in the accolade department. Giannis is a two-time MVP, an NBA champion, and a Finals MVP, all captured since 2019 with the Bucks. In his two MVP seasons in 2019 and 2020, he led the NBA in PER with ratings above 30.5 each year and has recorded a rating of 29.0 or better in the three seasons since. If he keeps projecting this way, we could see Giannis take over the number-one spot in his career for sure.
The final two players at power forward on our list are completely opposite as far as careers go. Charles Barkley is a former MVP of the league but was never able to capture the NBA championship. Tim Duncan is not only a former two-time MVP, but he also won five NBA championships and three Finals MVP awards by being one of the most efficient players in NBA history. Duncan and Barkley are separated by a very small number, but again, I can see how people would say this stats is flawed when Charles Barkley ranks ahead of Tim Duncan in something, but also one could argue that Barkley was the better offensive player.
Centers
1. Nikola Jokic – 27.65 PER
2. Shaquille O’Neal – 26.43 PER
3. David Robinson – 26.18 PER
4. Wilt Chamberlain – 26.16 PER
5. Neil Johnston – 24.86 PER
The five most efficient centers in NBA history all have a career PER that ranks in the top 11 in NBA history, making the center the most efficient group of players by position, and it isn’t relatively close. Nikola Jokic holds the second-highest PER in NBA history after winning two MVPs, a championship, and a Finals MVP, all in the last three years. Jokic has led the NBA in PER in each of the last three seasons, with a PER of 31.0 or better every season. As Jokic continues to dominate the center position and pick apart defenses as a scorer and playmaker, his PER will only rise, and he will challenge Michael Jordan for the number-one spot.
Shaquille O’Neal is no surprise here either, as he was the most dominant player in NBA history at his peak. O’Neal was as efficient as anyone in finishing his shots at the rim, leading the NBA in field goal percentage 10 times in his NBA career. O’Neal was an MVP and three-time Finals MVP who led the NBA in PER every year from 1998 through 2002 and recorded eight seasons with a PER over 28.0.
David Robinson is probably the most shocking on our list, even though we know how efficient the former MVP and two-time NBA champion was during his career. Robinson ranks top eight in NBA centers in NBA history, so to see him among the most efficient only adds to that conclusion. Robinson led the NBA in PER three years in a row from 1994 through 1996 and had seven seasons with a PER above 27.0.
To round out the category, we have two of the game’s greatest centers from yesteryear, Wilt Chamberlain and Neil Johnston. Wilt was a cheat code on his own, and the only surprise on this list is that he isn’t much higher. He still ranks seventh all-time in NBA history in PER with eight seasons with a rating of 28.0 or above and three seasons with a rating above 31.5. Neil Johnston is another three-time scoring champ and former NBA champion who ranks 11th all-time in PER. Johnston led the NBA once in PER with a rating of 26.0 and had five straight seasons with a rating above 25.0 from 1953 through 1957.
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