Look, we all know the NBA runs on superstar power. Every fan knows the Lakers depend on Luka Doncic to do pretty much everything, the Nuggets look lost without Nikola Jokic, and the Thunder are relying on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander even more right now because half their starting lineup is sitting on the bench with injuries.
But there's a huge difference between saying "yeah, this guy's really important" and looking at actual numbers to see what happens when he takes a break. Just a few weeks into this 2026-27 NBA season, some of these differences are straight-up crazy.
That's why on/off differential is such a telling metric early on. If you're new to the concept, it's super simple. It just checks how much a team outscores or gets outscored by opponents when a player's on the floor versus when he's resting. If a team outscores its opponent by +10.0 points with their star playing, but gets outscored by -5.0 points with him on the bench, that player's holding an on/off differential of +15.0.
Quick heads-up before we jump in: we're early in the year, so sample sizes are small. A couple of blowout games, weird bench lineups, or cold shooting nights can swing these numbers fast. Still, looking at nine of the league's top stars through November 3, the numbers tell some pretty wild stories.
Some squads are totally falling apart without their main guys, while others are… somehow playing better? Let's rank them from the lowest on/off impact to the most ridiculous, game-changing ones.
With Giannis on court: -6.4 Net Rating
With Giannis off court: +3.5 Net Rating
The biggest headache in Miami right now is pretty easy to see: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo just haven't figured out how to share the floor together yet. The Heat are getting outscored by -6.4 points when Giannis plays, but they're +3.5 when he sits. That leaves him with a -9.9 on/off differential.
That sounds completely ridiculous when you look at his box score. Giannis is putting up huge numbers: 28.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 58.6% from the field. Individually, he's playing great. But as a unit, Miami's offense looks super cramped whenever they try to run plays through two big men who do most of their damage inside the paint.
A prime example happened in their loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Miami was trailing by 23 points before coach Erik Spoelstra went with a small lineup, keeping Bam on the floor while Giannis sat. That group brought Miami all the way back to tie the game at 104 before losing 115-110. Giannis finished with just 14 points and a -20 plus/minus, while Bam scored 20 points and was a +9.
Now, does this prove Miami's a better team without Giannis? Of course not. That'd be crazy to say. But it shows how much smoother their spacing looks when there's only one non-shooter in the frontcourt.
To make matters worse, Miami lost Tyler Herro and Norman Powell in the offseason, two guys who took almost 14 threes a game last year. The new guys coming in haven't provided a consistent threat from outside either, with Tim Hardaway Jr. stone-cold from deep. When defenses aren't worried about perimeter shooters, they just pack the paint, which wipes out driving lanes for both Giannis and Bam.
Miami's also giving up 122.5 points per 100 during Giannis's minutes, which is rough for a Spoelstra-coached defense. But the offensive fit is the bigger long-term worry. They've got two dominant interior players, and until they get reliable shooting around them, Giannis's elite numbers aren't translating into team wins.
With Tatum on court: +5.1 Net Rating
With Tatum off court: +7.7 Net Rating
Boston's sitting pretty at 5-2, holding down 3rd place in the East with a solid +5.8 overall net rating. Everything looks fine on the surface, but Jayson Tatum's had a surprisingly rough shooting start.
He's averaging 27.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a career-high 7.9 assists, which really explains the Celtics ' surprisingly dominant start these two weeks. But he's shooting just 41.8% from the field and 22.9% from deep, well below his usual standards.
The Celtics are still easily winning his minutes (+5.1 net rating). The surprise is that they're crushing teams even harder when he takes a breather (+7.7 net rating). That leaves Tatum at a -2.6 on/off. Unlike Miami, Boston isn't collapsing; they're just elite no matter who's out there.
Boston's secondary scorers are way too talented for the team to stall out. Paul George has fit right in , averaging 20.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while hitting nearly 39% of his threes. Payton Pritchard is giving them 13.4 points off the bench, and Derrick White does a bit of everything (11.1 points, 4.9 assists, elite defense).
When Tatum sits down, Boston doesn't panic because they've got multiple guys who can create shots and play high-level defense. Just check out some of the role-player numbers: Neemias Queta's at a wild +30.5, and Sam Hauser's at +28.6! Nobody thinks Queta or Hauser are more valuable than Tatum, obviously. It just shows that Boston's bench is completely destroying opposing backup units.
Once Tatum gets his jump shot back and those threes start dropping, his on/off will jump right back into positive territory. Until then, Boston's deep enough that they don't even need him shooting hot to keep winning games.
With Brunson on court: +0.7 Net Rating
With Brunson off court: +1.3 Net Rating
The New York Knicks have looked pretty sluggish to open the year, starting 2-4 with a weak 105.9 offensive rating. A big reason for those offensive bumps comes down to Jalen Brunson's cold start.
Brunson's still getting his points at 25.5 per game, but it's taking him over 21 shots a night to get there while hitting just 39.5% from the floor and 32.5% from three. Brunson's controlling a lot of the ball with a high 31.4% usage rate, and yet, the Knicks are essentially performing the exact same whether he's playing (+0.7 net rating) or resting (+1.3 net rating). That gives him a -0.6 on/off. It's basically a flat split, which is strange for a guy who's been New York's primary engine for years.
Why are the Knicks holding their ground when Brunson rests? Karl-Anthony Towns . KAT's been super efficient to start the year, putting up 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game while shooting 57.5% from the field and 41.4% from deep. Having a big man who can score effortlessly gives New York another way to generate points when Brunson sits. Plus, Josh Hart's doing his usual dirty work, averaging 8.7 points and 7.5 rebounds with a team-high +22.9 on/off.
When Brunson's out there, the Knicks aren't getting blown out; they're slightly outscoring opponents 110.4 to 109.7. But "barely outscoring" teams isn't the goal for a squad expecting to contend near the top of the East.
I wouldn't worry too much about Brunson's on/off just yet. His shooting numbers are way below his career marks, and once his pull-up jumpers start falling again, New York's primary units should look a lot sharper.
With Curry on court: +5.2 Net Rating
With Curry off court: +0.8 Net Rating
Even at 38 years old, Steph Curry's still doing Steph Curry things. He's casually averaging 30.0 points per game while knocking down 4.5 threes a night on 42.9% shooting from deep. After starting the season with three straight losses, Golden State bounced back with a 5-game winning streak. So, to nobody's surprise, the Warriors are a better team when Curry's on the floor.
What is surprising is that the gap isn't as massive as it used to be in previous years. The Warriors are +5.2 with Curry playing and +0.8 when he sits, giving him a +4.4 on/off differential. For years, Golden State's offense would fall completely flat the second Curry walked to the bench. Now? They're actually holding their own.
A huge chunk of the credit goes to the young core. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg's had an unbelievable start , averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 52/41 shooting splits. That's a huge stat line for a rookie! Meanwhile, Brandin Podziemski looks super comfortable in his expanded role, averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, while carrying a team-best +18.2 on/off.
Golden State's currently 5-3 with a solid overall profile, and these numbers could improve further as the roster gets healthier. Guys like Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, and Moses Moody are yet to come back later this season, so this resurgence of the Warriors is a crazy feat.
With Jokic on court: -1.2 Net Rating
With Jokic off court: -9.6 Net Rating
For years, the story in Denver's been identical: when Nikola Jokic plays, the Nuggets look like champions; when he sits, they feel like a lottery team. While the Nuggets are still having a tough time without him this season, the weird part is that they're also struggling with him right now. Denver's stumbled out of the gate to a 3-3 record with a -2.3 overall net rating.
Jokic is putting up 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. For almost any other center, that's an incredible stat line. But for Jokic, his scoring and shooting efficiency are down compared to his usual MVP standards. He's shooting just 47.2% overall and a rough 22.6% from three.
Because of that, Denver actually has a -1.2 net rating during his minutes, which feels strange considering how dominant his lineups usually are. However, the second Jokic sits down, things get significantly worse. The Nuggets drop to a terrible -9.6 net rating, giving him an +8.4 on/off differential.
When Jokic plays, the offense still manages a solid 115.0 rating, but their defense has been soft (allowing 116.2 points). And when he rests, the bench units can't get enough stops to stay afloat either.
Interestingly, Jamal Murray's been Denver's top scorer so far, averaging 27.3 points per game while shooting 51.9% from three. Murray holds a massive +26.2 on/off, and Christian Braun's right behind him at +21.7.
These early numbers show Denver's starters with Murray are doing fine, but overall team defense is dragging them down. Jokic doesn't need to suddenly score 35 points a night, but Denver needs to figure out how to stop opponents from scoring if they want to get back to the top of the West.
With Maxey on court: +9.5 Net Rating
With Maxey off court: -8.9 Net Rating
The Philadelphia 76ers are flying high right now. They're sitting at 7-1, holding 1st place in the Eastern Conference, and Tyrese Maxey's playing like a top-tier MVP candidate.
Maxey's pouring in 29.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 50.3% shooting. On top of that, he's leading all nine players on this list in playing time, averaging a heavy 37.5 minutes per night. Nick Nurse is relying on him heavily, and Maxey's delivering.
When Maxey's on the floor, Philly outscores teams by +9.5 points. When he rests, the Sixers get outscored by -8.9. That gives him a huge +18.4 on/off differential. During Maxey's minutes, Philly locks in defensively, holding teams to a stingy 103.9 defensive rating while keeping up a solid 113.4 offensive rating. He brings a level of speed and energy that completely puts defenses out of shape.
What makes this metric even crazier is that Maxey isn't carrying a thin roster. He's got elite talent around him, with Joel Embiid putting up 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, Jaylen Brown averaging 20.6 points, and LeBron James chipping in 16.2 points and 7.3 assists.
Yet, despite all those big names, Maxey's been the team's most consistent spark plug every single night. In fact, Embiid's personal on/off is sitting at an impressive +20.9, while Jaylen Brown's at +12.4. When Philadelphia plays its primary core, they look nearly unstoppable.
The main issue is that their bench minutes are getting hit hard whenever the starters rest. But considering Maxey's doing all this damage while shooting just 33.9% from deep, he's got room to be even better. Philly fans have plenty to be hyped about.
With Wembanyama on court: +14.0 Net Rating
With Wembanyama off court: -4.8 Net Rating
Averaging 4.0 blocks per game in only 31.3 minutes per night is just cheat-code territory. But that's standard routine for Victor Wembanyama right now. The Spurs alien is putting up 25.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 4.0 blocks per game, leading San Antonio to a strong 5-2 start. His three-point shot hasn't been falling consistently (just 26.2%), but it hardly matters because his gravity on both ends compensates for everything else.
When Wembanyama plays, San Antonio operates like a contender with a +14.0 net rating. When he takes a breather, the Spurs drop down to a -4.8 net rating. That creates a huge +18.8 on/off differential. Unlike guards whose primary impact comes from scoring, Wembanyama changes everything on defense too. With him out there, the Spurs score 118.6 points and give up only 104.6 per 100.
It helps that San Antonio's young talent is developing quickly around him. Dylan Harper's averaging 18.3 points and 5.3 assists, Stephon Castle's putting up 14.7 points and 5.6 rebounds, and De'Aaron Fox is giving them 15.9 points on 58.2% shooting (with a clean +15.8 on/off of his own).
The 3-guard lineup of Fox, Devin Vassell, Castle, Harper, and Wembanyama has played 62 minutes together and is rocking an insane +27.3 net rating after an opening stretch where things weren't looking as solid as they are now.
The drop-off when Wembanyama sits is obvious. Without him, opponents immediately start driving into the paint without fear. When he's out there, guys hesitate, pull back, or pass the ball out because nobody wants to get their shot swatted against the glass.
That kind of rim protection doesn't always show up on a simple box score, but on/off differential picks it right up.
With SGA on court: +12.5 Net Rating
With SGA off court: -16.6 Net Rating
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 5-2 right now, which looks great until you realize their roster's been battered by injuries. Key starters and rotation pieces like Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Chet Holmgren are all set to miss a long time .
Because so many guys are sitting in street clothes, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shouldered an immense offensive workload. SGA's averaging 28.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through seven games. His shooting efficiency isn't quite at the godly levels of last season (45.1% FG, 33.3% 3PT) because defenses are keying in on him, but he keeps finding ways to get near 30 points every single night.
With so many main ball-handlers out, OKC's overall pace has slowed down, making every scoring stretch vital. That's why his on/off stat jumps off the page. When Shai plays, the Thunder dominate opponents with a +12.5 net rating. When he rests, the offense craters to a -16.6 net rating, creating a staggering +29.1 on/off differential.
The contrast is clear: OKC scores 120.6 points during Shai's minutes, but their team mark drops down to 107.1 overall. Role players like Ajay Mitchell (17.0 PPG) and Jared McCain have played hard and stepped up to fill the gaps. But there's a limit to what you can do when three of your top five guys are out.
OKC won 64 games last year because they were super deep and healthy. Right now, missing that depth, they're relying heavily on Shai's brilliance to pull out wins. That -16.6 rating without him shows just how much those injuries hurt.
With Luka on court: +21.2 Net Rating
With Luka off court: -18.0 Net Rating
If you want to see what carrying a basketball team looks like, check out Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers . The difference between the Lakers when Doncic plays versus when he sits isn't just big … It's ridiculous.
Los Angeles is outscoring teams by a wild +21.2 points during Doncic's minutes. But when he sits down to catch his breath, the Lakers get outscored by -18.0 points. That creates a massive +39.2 on/off differential. It's comfortably the highest number on this list, and it's happening while the Lakers are off to a strong 6-2 start, sitting 4th in the West.
Doncic's personal production looks straight out of a video game. He's leading the league in scoring at 38.3 points per game, while adding 8.0 rebounds and 8.1 assists. He's shooting 49.7% from the floor and 42.7% from deep, while hitting 5.9 three-pointers a night.
He's already dropped 52 points against the Jazz on October 25. He followed that up with 45 points and 15 rebounds against the Raptors on Sunday, then turned right around and poured in 42 points and 13 assists against the Heat on Monday. That's back-to-back 40-point games, and four performances with at least 40 points in his first seven appearances.
With Doncic running the show, the Lakers boast a 133.2 offensive rating. That's easily the most absurd offensive number of the season so far. They're holding up decently on defense too (112.0 defensive rating), letting them pull away from teams during his minutes on the court. And with a usage rate pushing near 40%, everything flows through him while he scores even more efficiently than last year.
That Raptors game was a perfect example of what happens when he takes a breather . JJ Redick pulled his starters with 1:43 left on the clock and the Lakers cruising with a 125-109 lead, thinking the night was wrapped up. Toronto immediately went on an 11-0 run in about 40 seconds, cutting the lead to 125-120 and forcing Redick to rush Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler right back onto the floor.
The Lakers held on to win 131-125, but needing your superstar to bail you out after building a 16-point lead with under two minutes left says everything about how fast things fall apart without him.
It's not like Doncic is playing without help, either. Reaves is having a fantastic year, averaging 23.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 53/44 shooting splits (holding an elite +24.6 on/off himself). Kessler's been a great rim partner, giving them 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while shooting 71.4% from the field.
Yet, the Lakers' offense stalls out hard whenever Doncic sits. A -18.0 rating without your star isn't sustainable over 82 games, and a +39.2 differential will likely shrink as the season goes on. But with a 52-point game, back-to-back 40-point outbursts, and an offense scoring 133.2 points when he's out there, Doncic has an absolute lock on 1st place for MVP right now.
On/off data is great for a quick snapshot, but it lies if you don't watch the games. Guys like Luka and Shai are at the top because their teams are championship-level dominant with them, but crumble into total disarray the second they hit the bench. Wemby and Maxey are right there too, completely altering their team's ceiling every single minute they're on the floor.
On the flip side, looking at the bottom of the list with a blanket "their bench is just deep" label misses the real story: Boston actually has the elite depth to crush backup units without Tatum needing to go off, while New York isn't "holding the line," Brunson's rating is flat because their $200M wing spacing with Bridges and Anunoby is completely broken, forcing KAT to salvage bench possessions.
Golden State isn't deep or contender-built; they're just playing playoff-level desperation defense to mask a thin roster while Butler and Porzingis are out. And Miami is the biggest enigma, where Giannis is putting up MVP numbers, but the cramped floor spacing with Bam is actively dragging their offense down.
On/off numbers don't tell you who the best player is, they just show how a roster functions as a unit. Early in the season, hustle and broken fits can mess with the numbers, but one thing is crystal clear: take Luka off the Lakers right now, and the whole engine completely stops.
