NBA Unveils “Gravity” Stat To Measure A Player’s Defensive Pull
NBA
December 2025
Gravity is a new metric that quantifies how much extra defensive attention a player draws on and off the ball versus what floor spacing predicts. Using tracking data, it compares expected defensive pressure to the actual attention a player pulls, producing a differential score from -100 to 100. The system ingests 3D pose data from every player 60 times per second, learning how defenders usually react in specific ball and player locations. When multiple defenders shade or over-help toward a particular scorer, their Gravity spikes above zero, exposing who truly bends the defense, opens lanes and creates value even without touching the ball.