In the context of professional basketball league tables, the abbreviation “GB” signifies Games Behind. This figure indicates the difference between a team’s number of wins and losses and the record of the leading team (or a specific benchmark team) in their division or conference. For example, if the leading team has a record of 50 wins and 10 losses, and another team has a record of 45 wins and 15 losses, the second team is 5 Games Behind the leader. This is calculated as ((50-45) + (15-10))/2 = 5. It’s a core metric for assessing a team’s position relative to the top contenders.
The “Games Behind” statistic offers a quick and intuitive understanding of how closely a team is competing with others in its division or conference. It provides a readily available measure of the ground a team needs to make up to reach the top spot. Historically, this metric has been crucial for fans, analysts, and teams themselves in evaluating playoff seeding implications and the overall competitive landscape during the regular season.
