What is an average PER in basketball?

The league average PER is 15.00 by convention. A PER below 15 is below average, 15 is exactly average, 20 or above is good, 25 or above is All-Star/MVP level, and 30 or above is an all-time great season.

Is this the exact Hollinger PER formula?

No. The full Hollinger PER requires team-level pace and league-wide pace adjustments that are not available in a single-player stat line. This calculator uses the widely cited simplified version: (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK − missed FG − missed FT − TO) ÷ GP. It captures the same spirit — rewarding production and penalizing inefficiency — but is not pace-adjusted.

Why does PER penalize missed shots?

Every missed field goal or free throw is a possession that ended without points. PER subtracts these to reward efficient scorers over high-volume, low-percentage ones.

What does a negative PER mean?

A negative PER is possible for players who miss many shots and commit many turnovers while contributing little on the positive side. It is rare in meaningful sample sizes but can occur for players with very limited roles.

Does PER account for defense?

PER captures steals and blocks — the only defensive stats in a standard boxscore — but does not measure overall defensive impact, positioning, or communication. Treat PER as a strong offensive and all-around metric, not a complete defensive evaluation.

Basketball PER Calculator

Name: Basketball PER Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter a player's season totals to instantly compute their Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and see how they compare to league benchmarks.

Season Stats

Player Name (optional)

Games Played (GP)

Points (PTS)

Rebounds (REB)

Assists (AST)

Steals (STL)

Blocks (BLK)

Turnovers (TO)

FG Attempted (FGA)

FG Made (FGM)

FT Attempted (FTA)

FT Made (FTM)

Quick Examples

Enter season stats on the left to compute PER

Simplified PER Formula

PER = (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK
− (FGA − FGM) − (FTA − FTM) − TO) ÷ GP

All counting stats are season totals divided by games played. Missed field goals and free throws are penalized to reward efficient scorers.

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Summary

Enter a player's season totals to instantly compute their Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and see how they compare to league benchmarks.

How it works

Enter the player's season totals for all statistical categories.
The calculator applies the simplified PER formula: (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK − missed FG − missed FT − TO) ÷ GP.
All counting stats are first divided by games played to convert to per-game averages.
Missed field goals are FGA minus FGM; missed free throws are FTA minus FTM.
The resulting PER is rounded to two decimal places and rated against league benchmarks.

Use cases

Compare the overall efficiency of players on your fantasy basketball roster.
Evaluate whether a player's all-around game justifies their minutes.
Track PER progression across multiple seasons for a developing player.
Quickly assess role players and bench contributors beyond the scoring column.
Settle debates about MVP-caliber seasons using a single objective metric.
Analyze historical boxscore data to compare players across eras.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu