NBA Anchor Quality Index: The Championship Floor

All 26 champions in the study had an anchor at 1.73 or better, while 542 team-seasons below that floor produced none. This explainer examines the calculation, the prevalence of second qualifying players and the results for exceptional leading anchors. Historical qualification offers context, not a guarantee of another title.

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26 of 26champions had a player at 1.73+

0titles for the 542 team-seasons below it

17 of 47teams with a 3.50+ player won it all

Three findings

Every one of the 26 champions since 2001 had a player at 1.73 or better on AQI. The 542 team-seasons without one won zero titles.
23 of 26 champions had at least two players at 1.73 or better, compared with 16% of all other team-seasons.
Forty-seven teams in 26 years had a player at 3.50 or better, and they won 17 titles.

Title rate by the best player's AQI

Best player at 3.50+ (17 of 47)36%

No player at 1.73 (0 of 542)0%

All teams, 2000-01 to 2025-26. AQI = on-court net rating × usage × (TS% ÷ 0.550).

These are the headline numbers. The argument, the players and the method are in the full essay.