Rebound Percentage

Rebound Percentage (REB%) is an advanced basketball statistic that estimates the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while on the court. The formula is: REB% = 100 × (Rebounds × (Team Minutes / 5)) / (Minutes Played × (Team Rebounds + Opponent Rebounds)). This calculation measures what proportion of all rebounds (both team's rebounds) occurred while the player was on court were secured by that player, providing a standardized measure of rebounding ability independent of team pace or playing time. Rebound Percentage typically ranges from 5-10% for guards with limited rebounding responsibility, 10-18% for forwards, and 15-30% or higher for centers and elite rebounding specialists. The metric has become essential for evaluating rebounding prowess across positions, eras, and playing contexts, offering superior insight compared to raw rebound totals that don't account for opportunities or minutes played. The mathematical construction of Rebound Percentage accounts for total rebounding opportunities available during a player's court time. The denominator estimates total rebounds (both teams combined) that occurred while the player was on court, representing the pool of available rebounds. The numerator is the player's actual rebounds secured. This ratio reveals rebounding efficiency and ability relative to opportunities, allowing fair comparison across different team contexts and pace environments. A player on a team that generates many rebounds through poor opponent shooting has more opportunities than one on a team facing efficient opponents, and Rebound Percentage accounts for this contextual difference. Dean Oliver developed Rebound Percentage as part of his comprehensive basketball analytics framework in the early 2000s, recognizing that raw rebound totals inadequately captured rebounding ability across different contexts. A player averaging 10 rebounds per game on a slow-paced team with long possessions might be a better rebounder than one averaging 12 rebounds on a fast-paced team with many possessions and rebounding opportunities. Rebound Percentage standardizes rebounding evaluation, allowing meaningful comparison across teams, eras, and playing styles. Basketball-Reference.com popularized the metric by making it available for all NBA players throughout history, establishing it as a fundamental component of modern rebounding evaluation. Rebound Percentage divides into Offensive Rebound Percentage (ORB%) and Defensive Rebound Percentage (DRB%), which measure offensive and defensive rebounding separately. This division recognizes that offensive and defensive rebounding require different skills and occur at different rates. Offensive Rebound Percentage measures what percentage of available offensive rebounds (missed shots by the player's team) were secured by the player. Defensive Rebound Percentage measures the percentage of available defensive rebounds (missed shots by opponents) grabbed by the player. Elite offensive rebounders often post ORB% above 10%, while elite defensive rebounders exceed 25-30% DRB%. These separate metrics provide more nuanced rebounding evaluation than total Rebound Percentage alone. Practical application of Rebound Percentage reveals distinct rebounding tiers and positional distributions. Elite rebounding centers typically post total Rebound Percentages between 20-30%, indicating they secure one-fifth to nearly one-third of all available rebounds while on court. Historical rebounding greats like Dennis Rodman, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell posted extraordinary Rebound Percentages exceeding 25% across sustained periods. Modern elite rebounders like Andre Drummond, Rudy Gobert, and Clint Capela regularly exceed 20% REB%. Forwards typically range from 12-20% Rebound Percentage, while guards fall between 5-12%. These positional distributions reflect natural size and positioning advantages that affect rebounding opportunities and success. Historical Rebound Percentage leaders include legendary rebounders who dominated the glass throughout their careers. Dennis Rodman holds the highest career Rebound Percentage at 23.4%, reflecting his unprecedented rebounding prowess despite modest size for a power forward. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Artis Gilmore rank among career leaders with sustained excellence in securing available rebounds. Modern players like Andre Drummond and Reggie Evans have posted single seasons exceeding 25% Rebound Percentage, representing exceptional rebounding dominance. These historical rankings provide quantitative support for discussions about all-time great rebounders, offering standardized comparison across different eras with varying pace and style. The relationship between Rebound Percentage and team success shows significant correlation, particularly for defensive rebounding. Teams securing high percentages of defensive rebounds limit opponent second-chance opportunities, a crucial component of defensive success. Offensive rebounding percentage correlates less consistently with winning, as offensive rebounds can be traded off against transition defense: crashing the offensive glass creates rebounding opportunities but risks transition defense. Championship teams typically excel at defensive rebounding (high team DRB%) while maintaining acceptable offensive rebounding, prioritizing limiting opponent possessions over maximizing own possession extensions. Rebound Percentage's relationship to other advanced metrics reveals important insights about player archetypes and contributions. Players combining high Rebound Percentage with high Usage Rate serve as complete offensive engines who both score and rebound. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook epitomize this archetype, posting Rebound Percentages above 15% while maintaining Usage Rates above 30%. Rebounding specialists with high Rebound Percentage but low Usage Rate focus primarily on defensive contributions and board work with limited offensive creation, like traditional defensive centers. Understanding these relationships helps teams construct complementary roster compositions balancing rebounding with offensive responsibilities. Criticism of Rebound Percentage centers on several limitations affecting its accuracy and interpretation. The metric doesn't distinguish between contested rebounds requiring exceptional positioning and effort versus uncontested rebounds falling to players by default. Team rebounding schemes significantly influence individual Rebound Percentage: some teams assign big men to crash the glass while others emphasize point guard rebounding to initiate transition offense. Players intentionally deferring rebounds to teammates (a common practice among centers allowing guards to initiate breaks) artificially lower their Rebound Percentage despite making strategic team-oriented decisions. Additionally, Rebound Percentage doesn't account for box-outs that enable teammate rebounds, missing crucial rebounding contributions that don't appear in statistics. Despite limitations, Rebound Percentage provides valuable context for evaluating rebounding ability and board work. The metric helps identify players who genuinely excel at rebounding versus those who accumulate boards through high playing time or favorable contexts. A center posting 12% Rebound Percentage despite playing 30 minutes per game raises questions about rebounding ability or effort. Conversely, a guard posting 8% Rebound Percentage demonstrates valuable rebounding that enhances transition opportunities and possession control. These contextual insights inform roster construction, trade evaluation, and lineup optimization decisions. Coaching strategies explicitly consider Rebound Percentage distribution across rosters when designing rebounding schemes. Teams with elite rebounding big men often assign them primary board responsibility while guards release to transition. Teams with multiple capable rebounders can implement more aggressive offensive rebounding schemes, sending multiple players to the glass. The modern trend toward smaller lineups has increased emphasis on guards and wings contributing to rebounding, with players like Russell Westbrook and Luka Doncic posting Rebound Percentages typical of forwards. This evolution reflects basketball's shift toward positionless play where rebounding becomes a team responsibility rather than position-specific duty. Player development programs increasingly emphasize rebounding technique and effort to improve Rebound Percentage across positions. Guards receive instruction on transition rebounding to initiate offense. Wings develop skills for crashing from weak side and securing boards in traffic. Big men train positioning, timing, and box-out techniques to maximize rebounding efficiency. Teams monitor whether players improve Rebound Percentage as they develop, indicating growing rebounding capabilities that enhance overall value. This developmental focus has produced generations of players more well-rounded in rebounding than previous eras when board work was expected primarily from big men. The analytical community has developed various extensions of Rebound Percentage for specialized analysis. Rebound chance percentage tracks what percentage of rebounding opportunities players convert when near the ball, separating positioning from conversion. Contested rebound percentage measures success on rebounds with nearby opponents, indicating rebounding ability under pressure. Adjusted Rebound Percentage accounts for teammate rebounding ability, estimating what percentage a player would grab with average rebounding teammates. These variations extend Rebound Percentage's core concept to provide more granular rebounding insights. Contract negotiations increasingly reference Rebound Percentage when evaluating big men and rebounding specialists. Players posting high Rebound Percentages while providing other contributions command premium salaries as complete players. Elite rebounders who lack offensive skills can still earn solid contracts based on rebounding prowess, recognizing board work's importance to team success. However, Rebound Percentage alone doesn't determine value: players must combine rebounding with shooting, defense, or playmaking to maximize worth. Modern contracts reflect this nuanced evaluation, rewarding players who provide well-rounded contributions rather than excelling solely in rebounding. The comparison between Rebound Percentage and raw rebound totals reveals important contextual differences. A player averaging 12 rebounds per game sounds more impressive than one averaging 9 rebounds, but Rebound Percentage might reveal similar rebounding rates if the first player benefits from faster pace or more playing time. Conversely, identical raw rebound averages might reflect very different rebounding abilities if players operate in different contexts with varying opportunities. Rebound Percentage provides the standardized comparison necessary for meaningful rebounding evaluation across varied situations. The international basketball community uses Rebound Percentage increasingly for player evaluation across leagues and competitions. FIBA rules and different playing styles affect rebounding rates and typical Rebound Percentage values, but the underlying concept remains relevant. International players transitioning to the NBA often face adjustments in Rebound Percentage as they adapt to different rebounding schemes and teammate roles. However, strong Rebound Percentage in international competition generally translates to NBA contexts, making it valuable for international scouting and evaluation. The future of Rebound Percentage in basketball analytics appears secure as a fundamental metric for evaluating rebounding ability and board work. While more sophisticated statistics incorporating tracking data provide additional insights about rebounding positioning and contested rebounds, Rebound Percentage's accessibility and clear quantification ensure continued widespread use. The metric will remain essential for evaluating big men, understanding rebounding contributions across positions, and making informed personnel decisions. As basketball evolves toward increasingly positionless play, Rebound Percentage will continue providing crucial insight into which players excel at securing possessions through rebounding regardless of traditional positional categories.