author: Horace Pindoon
document classification: HWRI-EXP-YJB8-XC1T-T49T-WSM5-T9IL
document type: Explainer
publication date: 2026-04-21
clearance: Public Release
Explainer
HCR, in one page
The Hardwoodist Composite Rating.
HCR — the Hardwoodist Composite Rating — is the site's single-number answer to "how good was this player-season?"
The HCR is a living, work-in-progress number. We have a target of Q3 2057 for finalization.
What it's not
HCR is not a value metric. It is not designed to argue with RAPTOR, EPM, or LEBRON. It is a description of a season's shape, not a ranking of it. Although it is also a ranking of it.
What it is
A blend of box-score production, on-court impact, and style fingerprint — tuned so that players whose game looks similar get similar scores, not so that "better" players always get higher ones.