
In the NBA, teams are ranked based on their PCT and GB columns, which are connected to their win-loss record. PCT stands for Winning Percentage and is the primary value that determines the order of teams in the standings. It is the portion of wins earned from the total games played per team, reported as a fractional value rounded up to three decimal places. Teams with a higher PCT rank higher in the standings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | PCT: Percentile |
| Meaning | The percentile your performance falls within, graded against all other entrants in the game |
| NBA Standings | Teams are ranked based on their PCT and GB columns |
| Calculation | Portion of wins earned from the total games played per team |
| Reporting Format | Fractional value rounded up to three decimal places |
| Abbreviation | WIN% |
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What You'll Learn

PCT is an abbreviation for Winning Percentage
In the NBA, teams are ranked based on their PCT and GB columns, which are connected to their win-loss record. PCT is an abbreviation for Winning Percentage and is the primary value that determines the ranking of teams in the standings. It is the proportion of wins earned from the total games played per team, reported as a fractional value rounded to three decimal places. Teams with a higher PCT rank higher in the standings, whether sorted by division, conference, or the entire league.
The calculation for PCT is straightforward, and it is sometimes abbreviated as WIN%, representing the same concept. The higher the PCT, the better a team's performance in picking the winning team in each matchup. For example, looking at the 2019-20 season, three teams qualified for the playoffs with a sub 0.500 PCT, but none of those teams won the NBA Championship.
While PCT is a critical factor in determining a team's ranking, it is not the only consideration. The NBA also includes the GB column, which stands for "Games Back" or "Games Behind." This stat compares a team's record to that of their divisional leader. Although PCT provides insight into a team's winning percentage, GB helps understand how many games the weaker team trails by.
In summary, PCT is a crucial metric in the NBA, reflecting a team's winning percentage and influencing their ranking in the standings. A higher PCT indicates better performance and contributes to a team's success in the playoffs and championship contention.
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Calculating Winning Percentage
In basketball, PCT stands for Winning Percentage. It is the primary value that determines the ranking of teams in the NBA standings. The PCT is calculated as the fraction of wins earned from the total number of games played per team. For example, if a team has won 20 games and has played a total of 30 games, their PCT would be 0.666 or 66.6% (20/30).
The PCT is reported as a fractional value rounded up to three decimal places. A higher PCT indicates better performance and a higher ranking in the standings, whether sorted by division, conference, or the entire league.
Teams with a higher winning percentage have a better chance of qualifying for the playoffs. In the NBA, the top 8 teams in each conference (East and West) secure a playoff spot based on their PCT for the season.
It's worth noting that if two or more teams finish with the same win-loss record, the NBA will apply a tie-breaking procedure to determine rankings. Additionally, while PCT indicates a team's performance and ranking, it does not directly indicate how many games a weaker team trails by. To address this, the NBA includes the GB column, which stands for "Games Back" or "Games Behind." This stat compares a team's record to that of their divisional leader.
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Teams with a greater PCT rank higher
In the NBA, teams are ranked based on their PCT and GB columns. PCT is an abbreviation for Winning Percentage and is the primary value that determines the order of teams in the standings. It is the portion of wins earned from the total games played per team. For example, if a team has played 10 games and won 8, their PCT would be 0.8 or 80%. Teams with a greater PCT rank higher in the standings, whether sorted by division, conference, or the entire league.
The higher a team's PCT, the better they are doing in picking the winning team in each matchup. In the 2019-20 season, three teams qualified for the playoffs with a sub 0.500 PCT, but none of those teams won the NBA Championship.
Teams qualify for the playoffs based on their conference rankings (East and West). The top 8 teams in each conference clinch a playoff spot based on their winning percentages for the season. Should two or more teams finish with the same win-loss record, the NBA applies a tie-breaking procedure.
GB, or Games Back, is another stat used in the NBA. It compares the record of one team to their divisional leader. For example, a team that is 3.5 games back of the leader has won 3.5 fewer games than the leader. This stat is useful for determining how many games the weaker team trails by, as it is not immediately clear from looking at PCT alone.
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Qualifying for playoffs
In the NBA, teams qualify for the playoffs based on their conference rankings (East and West). The top eight teams in each conference clinch a playoff spot based on their winning percentages for the season, or PCT. This is the portion of wins earned from the total games played per team, reported as a fractional value rounded up to three decimal places.
The six teams with the most wins from each conference progress immediately to the playoffs. The 7th to 10th-placed teams in each conference then play for the remaining four spots in a 'play-in tournament'. The bottom four teams from each conference (the No. 7 seed, No. 8 seed, No. 9 seed, and No. 10 seed) battle it out for the final two playoff seeds in their respective conferences. The NBA doesn't count the play-in tournament as an official round of the playoffs. Once the play-in tournament is complete, the NBA Playoffs can begin.
The NBA Playoffs are made up of four rounds. The first round sees 16 teams face off, with eight teams advancing to the Conference Semifinals. The second round is then known as the Conference Semi-finals, and the third round is the Conference Finals. The teams that progress from each conference then meet in the NBA Finals to determine the champion.
The NBA Playoffs follow a 2-2-1-1-1 home/away format, and of the seven games in a series, the team with the better seed plays games 1, 2, 5 and 7 at home. The playoffs use a best-of-seven elimination format, meaning two teams can play each other up to seven times, with the team that wins four games first progressing to the next round.
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PCT vs WIN%
In the NBA, teams are ranked based on their PCT and GB columns. PCT is an abbreviation for Winning Percentage and is sometimes abbreviated as WIN%, representing the same long-form terminology. It is the portion of wins earned from the total games played per team. PCT is reported as a fractional value rounded up to three decimal places. The higher the PCT, the better a team is performing.
For example, if a team has a PCT of 0.600, it means they have won 60% of their games. The higher the PCT, the better the team is performing relative to other teams in the league.
GB, on the other hand, stands for "Games Back" and is a stat that compares the record of one team to their divisional leader. It is a simple way of saying that one team would match the divisional leader's record if the former wins a certain number of games that the latter loses.
While PCT is the primary value that determines the order of teams in the standings, GB is important because it provides context to a team's PCT. For example, if two teams have the same PCT, the team with fewer GB is considered to be performing better.
Additionally, a team should aim to maintain a PCT above 0.500 to qualify for the playoffs. While it is possible to clinch a playoff spot with a lower PCT, it is unlikely that the team will go on to win the championship.
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