NBA defense vs position

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Softest NBA defense at each position in 2026-27, by points allowed per game: Utah Jazz vs PG (20.3), Phoenix Suns vs SG (17.3), Dallas Mavericks vs SF (16.2), Atlanta Hawks vs PF (16), New Orleans Pelicans vs C (16.3). Toughest: Washington Wizards vs PG (7.4), Memphis Grizzlies vs SG (7.3), Portland Trail Blazers vs SF (5.6), Houston Rockets vs PF (7.9), Dallas Mavericks vs C (7.1).

In these rankings 1st allows the least and 30th allows the most, so a high rank is a soft matchup. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 6 games per team.

1st = toughest, allows the least30th = softest, allows the most

Green means opponents put up more of that stat, red means less. Ranks are never flipped, so a high rank on a stat like turnovers means opponents turn it over more against this team. Soft teams sit at the top of each table, ordered by their average rank across the columns. The small number beside each value is the league rank. Pick a position above for every stat with last 10 and last 5 splits.

Points allowed by position

Points allowed by position, 2026-27. Rank 1 allows the least, the last rank allows the most.
Phoenix Suns415.823rd17.330th14.629th8.85th11.928th
New Orleans Pelicans618.727th1222nd7.23rd13.824th16.330th
Sacramento Kings615.322nd11.419th12.824th11.214th11.826th
Cleveland Cavaliers611.610th13.827th9.612th14.929th10.923rd
Indiana Pacers714.619th9.16th12.925th12.321st10.522nd
Utah Jazz620.330th11.921st11.419th11.516th7.65th
Milwaukee Bucks610.98th1326th84th14.226th11.826th
Brooklyn Nets610.26th12.424th10.917th13.623rd9.518th
New York Knicks613.715th8.35th12.723rd12.321st11.124th
Chicago Bulls614.318th10.313th12.925th11.719th8.410th
Atlanta Hawks79.33rd1011th9.311th1630th1229th
Orlando Magic69.22nd10.112th1428th14.828th8.611th
Dallas Mavericks612.112th11.720th16.230th11.617th7.11st
Los Angeles Clippers617.225th10.917th10.615th8.33rd1019th
Charlotte Hornets714.720th10.716th6.32nd1425th9.115th
Toronto Raptors612.413th12.925th10.314th10.910th9.216th
San Antonio Spurs613.817th9.27th11.920th107th11.225th
Golden State Warriors719.629th9.39th8.75th12.120th8.712th
Miami Heat613.715th14.229th9.29th10.79th8.813th
Minnesota Timberwolves715.924th10.313th10.213th10.18th9.317th
Philadelphia 76ers79.54th12.323rd8.97th11.617th10.121st
Los Angeles Lakers71521st9.710th9.18th14.427th7.53rd
Washington Wizards67.41st13.928th12.622nd10.910th7.22nd
Houston Rockets712.514th10.313th11.920th7.91st914th
Portland Trail Blazers518.928th9.27th5.61st9.76th1019th
Memphis Grizzlies618.626th7.31st10.816th8.44th7.77th
Denver Nuggets5119th7.62nd13.827th1112th7.53rd
Boston Celtics610.37th8.23rd11.318th11.113th7.88th
Oklahoma City Thunder69.65th11.318th9.29th8.12nd8.19th
Detroit Pistons611.811th8.23rd8.86th11.415th7.65th

Rebounds allowed by position

Rebounds allowed by position, 2026-27. Rank 1 allows the least, the last rank allows the most.
Philadelphia 76ers72.710th3.725th4.221st6.526th8.226th
Washington Wizards63.218th3.422nd4.423rd6.930th6.414th
Miami Heat62.811th3.826th4.924th5.316th7.324th
New York Knicks6428th23rd5.125th621st6.919th
Cleveland Cavaliers62.43rd3.219th5.125th5.920th8.528th
Chicago Bulls63.321st3.118th5.527th6.222nd5.13rd
San Antonio Spurs63.826th4.529th3.812th45th6.818th
Minnesota Timberwolves73.625th3.422nd4.118th4.713th5.26th
Indiana Pacers72.913th2.812th5.829th4.612th6.516th
Toronto Raptors64.330th2.79th3.58th4.310th7.925th
Milwaukee Bucks62.68th3.219th2.42nd6.829th7.223rd
Sacramento Kings63.218th4.327th4.221st45th5.910th
Orlando Magic63.218th2.65th3.916th6.728th6.313th
Atlanta Hawks72.811th3.219th2.83rd6.627th6.919th
Golden State Warriors7428th2.79th3.812th4.914th6.414th
Memphis Grizzlies63.524th1.92nd5.728th3.62nd6.919th
Los Angeles Clippers63.927th2.913th2.31st3.94th8.829th
Phoenix Suns43.117th23rd4.118th4.18th8.226th
Utah Jazz63.422nd4.327th3.710th4.18th5.13rd
Boston Celtics62.11st1.81st6.630th5.819th6.617th
Dallas Mavericks62.11st317th3.710th5.316th722nd
Denver Nuggets53.422nd2.65th3.812th515th5.910th
New Orleans Pelicans62.43rd2.65th34th6.222nd11.430th
Charlotte Hornets72.913th2.913th3.16th6.222nd5.26th
Brooklyn Nets62.913th2.65th3.916th6.222nd4.51st
Oklahoma City Thunder62.913th4.529th34th45th5.13rd
Detroit Pistons62.43rd2.913th3.58th5.518th5.910th
Los Angeles Lakers72.43rd3.624th4.118th3.83rd52nd
Houston Rockets72.57th2.79th3.812th4.511th5.68th
Portland Trail Blazers52.68th2.913th3.37th3.41st5.79th

Assists allowed by position

Assists allowed by position, 2026-27. Rank 1 allows the least, the last rank allows the most.
New York Knicks64.823rd0.81st325th4.229th3.127th
Atlanta Hawks74.722nd2.314th1.913th3.527th2.525th
New Orleans Pelicans66.630th2.418th1.610th1.810th4.930th
Cleveland Cavaliers65.426th1.97th325th3.728th1.49th
Phoenix Suns42.91st2.314th3.530th2.318th3.629th
Brooklyn Nets64.214th2.622nd2.824th3.122nd1.26th
Orlando Magic64.316th1.42nd3.429th2.820th2.221st
Indiana Pacers74.417th2.725th1.34th3.325th1.814th
Miami Heat63.46th2.314th3.328th2.921st1.915th
Los Angeles Clippers63.89th328th2.722nd1.12nd2.422nd
Sacramento Kings66.429th2.520th2.519th1.911th1.13rd
Golden State Warriors75.528th1.74th1.57th2.116th2.726th
Minnesota Timberwolves75.426th2.725th1.12nd214th1.713th
Dallas Mavericks63.67th2.622nd215th2.116th218th
Chicago Bulls64.417th2.314th2.316th3.223rd1.13rd
Los Angeles Lakers74.520th2.622nd1.711th1.12nd218th
Milwaukee Bucks65.325th1.97th1.57th214th2.120th
Charlotte Hornets74.823rd2.111th1.34th2.619th1.915th
Houston Rockets73.89th1.86th2.722nd3.223rd1.49th
San Antonio Spurs63.89th2.213th2.418th0.81st3.328th
Memphis Grizzlies64.417th1.42nd2.519th1.46th2.422nd
Oklahoma City Thunder64.113th2.520th1.46th1.34th2.422nd
Denver Nuggets53.23rd2.725th2.519th1.78th1.26th
Detroit Pistons632nd29th3.127th1.911th1.612th
Toronto Raptors63.23rd2.418th1.913th3.325th12nd
Portland Trail Blazers5412th328th0.81st1.78th1.511th
Boston Celtics63.35th1.74th2.316th4.229th1.13rd
Utah Jazz64.520th3.730th1.12nd1.34th0.91st
Philadelphia 76ers73.67th29th1.812th1.911th1.915th
Washington Wizards64.214th2.111th1.57th1.67th1.38th

Using defense vs position on a prop

  1. Find the opponent and the position

    Say the player is a PG facing the Utah Jazz. The PG column shows 20.3 points per game, 30th of 30.

  2. Compare it with the league

    The league average at PG is 13.6, so this defense gives up 6.7 more per game. That is a soft matchup on the season.

  3. Open the position for the recent trend

    Use the position links above. Each one ranks every main stat over the season, the last 10 and the last 5, so you can see if the number still holds.

  4. Then check the player

    A matchup is one input. In the app, see how the player has done against today's exact line and compare every book's price.

How this is counted

Each number is what opposing players put up against this team, per game, averaged over the team's 2026-27 games. It counts every player listed at the position who played, starters and reserves together, so it sits below a starter's line. Read the rank and the gap to the league average, not the raw number against a line. Teams are ranked on that number league-wide: 1st allows the least, last allows the most, for every stat, with ties sharing a rank. Last 10 and last 5 are the same defense over its most recent games; a dash means too few games to rank (under 3 for L10, under 2 for L5). Computed each morning from every box score of the season, preseason excluded, and refreshed here by 8:40 AM ET.

Defense vs position FAQ

What is NBA defense vs position?

It ranks every NBA team by what it allows to each position, not just in total. A team can be tough on one position and soft on another: that is what the table above shows for 2026-27.

Which NBA team gives up the most points to point guards?

The Utah Jazz, at 20.3 per game in 2026-27, 30th of 30. The league average is 13.6. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 6 games per team.

Which NBA team gives up the most points to shooting guards?

The Phoenix Suns, at 17.3 per game in 2026-27, 30th of 30. The league average is 10.9. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 6 games per team.

Is a high rank good or bad?

It depends which side you are on. 1st allows the least and 30th allows the most, so a high rank is a soft matchup for the player and a poor number for the defense. The app's defense table uses the same order.

How often is this updated?

Every morning. The rankings are recomputed around 6 AM ET and this page refreshes by 8:40 AM ET.

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