Net rating is offensive rating minus defensive rating: a team's point margin per 100 possessions. It is the best single number for how good a team really is, better than its record over a short stretch.
HoopSim computes net rating as ORtg minus DRtg for every team. A positive number means you outscore opponents per possession; a team around +5 is a strong playoff side and a team near -5 is headed for the lottery. Because the engine simulates every possession, a team's net rating and its record drift apart only through luck in close games, which is where clutch play and chemistry decide things: a tight locker room holds up late and a fractured one folds, and home court helps more for a team with good chemistry.
| Formula | |
|---|---|
| Net rating | ORtg - DRtg |
Rulebook: How chemistry shows up in games. Related: offensive rating, defensive rating.