Plus/Minus isn’t the end all when it comes to how a player impacts an individual game, but after a dozen games, it’s one way to see how players are meshing on the court and ultimately contributing to winning. This intriguing aspect of basketball analytics is often a topic of discussion among fans and analysts alike, especially in platforms like FanDuel Sportsbook, where understanding a player’s impact can influence betting strategies.
In the NBA, plus/minus is a stat that gives us insights into a player’s impact on the game. It basically answers the question “what is the point differential for the minutes you’ve been on the court?” Simply put, if your team outscores the opponents during your stint, you get a positive plus/minus, and if it’s the other way around, it’s negative.
So, let’s say you’re rocking a +10. That means, while you were playing, your team scored 10 more points than the other guys. It’s not just about scoring, though; it considers defense too. If you shut down opponents and your team goes on a scoring spree, your plus/minus will be smiling.
The 20 NBA Players with Lowest +/-
It’s a impactful metric for coaches and analysts to figure out who’s making a real impact. If a player consistently brings a positive plus/minus, they’re probably doing some solid work on both ends of the court. It’s like the NBA’s way of saying, “Hey, this player’s presence is making good things happen!”
To no surprise, many of these infamous performances came in some of the NBA’s most massive blowouts where the margin of victory was often eye-opening.
| # | PLAYER | PLUS MINUS | TEAM | OPPONENT | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manny Harris | -57 | Cleveland Cavs | Los Angeles Lakers | 01/11/2011 |
| 2 | Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | -56 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies | 12/02/2021 |
| 3 | Luguentz Dort | -53 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies | 12/02/2021 |
| 4 | Zavier Simpson | -51 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Los Angeles Clippers | 04/10/2022 |
| 4 | Josh Hart | -51 | Portland Blazers | Utah Jazz | 3/9/2022 |
| 6 | Vit Krejci | -50 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Los Angeles Clippers | 04/10/2022 |
| 6 | Georgios Kalaitzakis | -50 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Los Angeles Clippers | 04/10/2022 |
| 6 | Isaiah Roby | -50 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Portland Blazers | 04/03/2021 |
| 9 | Jaylen Hoard | -48 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Los Angeles Clippers | 04/10/2022 |
| 9 | D'Angelo Russell | -48 | Golden St. Warriors | Brooklyn Nets | 02/05/2020 |
| 9 | T.J. Warren | -48 | Phoenix Suns | Utah Jazz | 02/02/2018 |
| 9 | Steven Hunter | -48 | Philadelphia 76ers | Houston Rockets | 03/18/2007 |
| 13 | Patty Mills | -47 | Brooklyn Nets | Boston Celtics | 02/08/2022 |
| 13 | Tre Mann | -47 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies | 12/02/2021 |
| 13 | Trevor Ariza | -47 | Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets | 10/20/2018 |
| 13 | Josh Jackson | -47 | Phoenix Suns | San Antonio Spurs | 02/07/2018 |
| 13 | Lou Williams | -47 | Los Angeles Lakers | Oklahoma City Thunder | 12/23/2015 |
| 13 | Antawn Jamison | -47 | Cleveland Cavs | Detroit Pistons | 04/17/2012 |
| 13 | Deron Williams | -47 | Utah Jazz | Sacramento Kings | 11/15/2005 |
Lakers Dominant in 112-57 Victory Over Cavaliers
The player that had the worst plus/minus since data has been available is Manny Harris and his -57 plus/minus came in a historic 112-57 Lakers win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs struggled mightily in the first post-LeBron James season. Harris’ minus 57 was a full 11 points worse than teammate Antawn Jamisons’ -46 plus/minus which barely missed out on our list.
Cavs coach Byron Scott expressed his dismay, labeling the performance “embarrassing.” Cleveland’s struggles were evident with a 30% shooting accuracy and a record-low point total in the shot clock era for a Lakers opponent.
The Lakers’ defensive intensity limited the Cavaliers to a record low in points by a Lakers opponent in the shot clock era. This was Cleveland’s 11th straight loss and it marked the Lakers’ third-largest victory margin since their move to Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher were a team best +46 in plus minus while Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum led Los Angeles with 15 points each.
Grizzlies Rout Thunder in Historic 152-79 Victory
We included this OKC-MEM match up because three Thunder players are on the list of worst plus/minus when the Grizzlies blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder in December 2021. Right behind Manny Harris, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has the NBA’s second-worst plus/minus in NBA history with -56.
While teammates fared a little better, the plus/minus for both Lu Dort (-53) and Tre Mann (-47) made this infamous list in the unprecedented Memphis victory. By demolishing the Oklahoma City Thunder 152-79, the Grizzlies set a new league record for the largest margin of victory. This all came with a Memphis Grizzlies team that was missing star player Ja Morant. Shooting a franchise-record 62.5%, the Grizzlies were firing on all cylinders; Jaren Jackson Jr. led with 27 points, while a balanced effort saw nine players scoring in double figures. The 73-point margin surpassed the previous record set by Cleveland in 1991. The Thunder struggled without key players, losing their eighth straight game.
Clippers Dominate Thunder 138-88, Secure Fifth Consecutive Win
The Oklahoma City Thunder show up on this list again. Their game against the Los Angeles Clippers to close the teams’ regular season was a high note for the Clippers and a low note for the Thunder as the Clips crushed the depleted Oklahoma City Thunder 138-88. The 50 point blow out resulted in four OKC Thunder players making the list of with former Michigan standout Zavier Simpson at -51 with teammates Georgios Kalaitzakis (-50), Isaiah Roby (-50) and Jaylen Hoard (-48) right behind him.
The Clippers also were shorthanded; playing without injured stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and that allowed reserve Amir Coffey to record career highs of 32 points and 13 rebounds.
