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AQI: the Anchor Quality Index

One number for how a team plays with a player on the floor, weighted by how much of the offense he carries and how well he shoots. Every NBA champion's best player since 2001-02 has been at 1.73 or better.

AQI: who a team is built aroundThe Anchor Quality Index for the top eight players on current rosters, against the 1.73 line every champion has had.
Transcript

AQI is on-court net rating times usage times true shooting divided by 0.550. The top eight on current rosters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 6.59, Victor Wembanyama 6.44, Chet Holmgren 4.26, Nikola Jokic 4.14, Ajay Mitchell 3.75, Cade Cunningham 3.55, Jalen Duren 3.48, Jayson Tatum 3.28. Every champion had a player at 1.73 or better. 41 players on current rosters clear it. AQI includes teammates and opponents: it describes a player's minutes, not his effect alone.

The formula

AQI = on-court net rating × usage rate × (true shooting % ÷ 0.550)

Net rating is how the team does while he's on the floor. It includes his teammates and opponents, so it describes his minutes rather than isolating his own effect. Usage says how much of the offense runs through him. True shooting, scaled to a league-average 55%, says how well he converts. A role player who's on the floor for good minutes but rarely shoots scores low; a high-volume scorer whose team gets outscored scores low too. The players who score high are the ones a team can be built around.

Which season counts

A player's 2025-26 number if he played 1,000 minutes. Otherwise, his most recent season with 1,500 minutes, so a star coming back from injury is judged on his last full season, not on a handful of games.

Why 1.73 matters

No team since 2001-02 has won a title without a player at 1.73 or better. It's the first of the four contender tests, and 41 players on current rosters clear it. The full history is in the AQI explainer on the newsletter.

Top 50 players by AQI, 2026-27 rosters

#PlayerTeamAQINet rtgUsageTS%Season
1Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOklahoma City Thunder6.59+16.632.866.42025-26
2Victor WembanyamaSan Antonio Spurs6.44+17.632.462.22025-26
3Chet HolmgrenOklahoma City Thunder4.26+16.42264.92025-26
4Nikola JokicDenver Nuggets4.14+11.629.466.82025-26
5Ajay MitchellOklahoma City Thunder3.75+16.321.658.52025-26
6Cade CunninghamDetroit Pistons3.55+11.530.156.12025-26
7Jalen DurenDetroit Pistons3.48+11.823.568.92025-26
8Jayson TatumBoston Celtics3.28+10.130.758.22024-25
9Aaron GordonDenver Nuggets3.24+13.221.8622025-26
10LaMelo BallMinnesota Timberwolves3.14+10.231.354.42025-26
11Kawhi LeonardToronto Raptors3.12+8.233.363.12025-26
12Isaiah HartensteinOklahoma City Thunder2.83+15.615.763.32025-26
13Jalen WilliamsOklahoma City Thunder2.79+9.727.557.22024-25
14Alex CarusoOklahoma City Thunder2.74+17.915.753.52025-26
15Brandon MillerCharlotte Hornets2.72+9.427.857.42025-26
16Donovan MitchellCleveland Cavaliers2.69+7.631.961.42025-26
17Isaiah JoeDetroit Pistons2.51+11.418.365.92025-26
18De'Aaron FoxSan Antonio Spurs2.50+9.624.857.62025-26
19Stephon CastleSan Antonio Spurs2.47+9.624.757.42025-26
20Jamal MurrayDenver Nuggets2.46+7.927.562.12025-26
21Derrick WhiteBoston Celtics2.45+11.52253.12025-26
22Jaylen BrownPhiladelphia 76ers2.44+6.635.657.42025-26
23Neemias QuetaBoston Celtics2.34+12.81567.12025-26
24Karl-Anthony TownsNew York Knicks2.34+8.125.8622025-26
25Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers2.31+6.234.360.12025-26
26Ja MorantPortland Trail Blazers2.26+6.931.956.42024-25
27Duncan RobinsonDetroit Pistons2.19+12.315.563.22025-26
28Jalen BrunsonNew York Knicks2.16+6.730.258.32025-26
29Devin VassellSan Antonio Spurs2.15+11.617.957.32025-26
30Dylan HarperSan Antonio Spurs2.14+9.421.757.62025-26
31Julian ChampagnieSan Antonio Spurs2.09+12.51561.32025-26
32Jimmy Butler IIIGolden State Warriors2.06+7.623.264.52025-26
33OG AnunobyNew York Knicks2.02+919.861.82025-26
34Tobias HarrisSan Antonio Spurs1.97+10.218.557.62025-26
35Giannis AntetokounmpoMiami Heat1.97+4.536.665.72025-26
36Miles McBrideNew York Knicks1.96+10.417.857.92025-26
37Jaylin WilliamsOklahoma City Thunder1.94+11.415.659.82025-26
38Payton PritchardBoston Celtics1.92+8.521.458.32025-26
39Kevin DurantHouston Rockets1.85+5.926.863.72025-26
40Keldon JohnsonSan Antonio Spurs1.82+7.920.661.22025-26
41Cason WallaceOklahoma City Thunder1.76+12.514.553.62025-26
42Ausar ThompsonDetroit Pistons1.72+10.217.254.32025-26
43Al HorfordGolden State Warriors1.72+121456.22024-25
44Sam MerrillCleveland Cavaliers1.69+8.51764.62025-26
45Cameron JohnsonDenver Nuggets1.69+1014.7632025-26
46Bam AdebayoMiami Heat1.66+6.625.354.82025-26
47Luka DoncicLos Angeles Lakers1.64+3.937.361.62025-26
48Jarrett AllenCleveland Cavaliers1.60+6.72066.12025-26
49Christian BraunDenver Nuggets1.60+1014.560.72025-26
50Kon KnueppelCharlotte Hornets1.58+6.222.163.42025-26

Players on 2026-27 rosters as of October 13, 2026, with each player's qualifying season. Net rating is on-court points per 100 possessions. See which teams pass all four tests.

Essays on this from the newsletter

2026-10-10 · Key findings2026-27 NBA Preview: Five Teams Pass the Four Tests That Found 16 of the Last 25 ChampionsA 1.73 player, a second one, a top-10 net rating and a top-10 defense. Since 2001-02, teams that checked all four boxes before the season…2026-10-07 · Key findings73 Wins, One Game 7, and the Case for the Second StarAcross 775 NBA teams, the second-best player's number reads the standings better than the superstar's. Then June hands the trophy back.2026-10-06 · Key findingsEvery NBA Champion Since 2001 Had a Player Above 1.73. Fifteen Teams Start 2026-27 With One.The Anchor Quality Index from scratch: what one number says about who gets to play for a title, what 26 champions had in common, and what…2026-07-08 · SubstackHow to Win a Ring Without a SuperstarThe Knicks just did it — and their Finals MVP wasn't even the best player on his own team. That's not an insult. It's the whole strategy.2026-06-23 · SubstackThe Giannis Math: What the Numbers Say About Boston, Miami, and a 36-Game MVPOne number decides this trade, and it isn't on either offer sheet. It's 36 — the games Giannis played last year. He was available 44% of…2026-06-17 · SubstackThe Shooter's MirageWhy the NBA pays $430M for playoff value that disappears in May — and what to build instead.

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