Alex Groza
1950–51 to 1950–51 · 1 seasons
NBA player comparison
Alex Groza vs. Walter Davis: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Walter Davis ranks higher in career impact
Walter Davis
1977–78 to 1991–92 · 15 seasons
Impact comparison
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Higher is better. Career ranks and average league finishes work the other way: lower is better.
#821Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#139Leads
+4.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.3
+4.9LeadsAverage box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.4
#2LeadsBest league finish#4
+377 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,362 ptsLeads
66Games1,033Leads
Career Impact Rank places Walter Davis #139 and Alex Groza #821. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Alex Groza had the higher single-season impact estimate.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedAlex Groza80.347 · No. 821Walter Davis18.227 · No. 139
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Alex Groza
80.347 composite · No. 821 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 21950–51Reconstructed historical estimate2 open slots × No. 106 | 71.333 | 50% | 35.667 |
| Best 5No. 21950–51Reconstructed historical estimate4 open slots × No. 106 | 85.200 | 30% | 25.560 |
| Best 10No. 21950–51Reconstructed historical estimate9 open slots × No. 106 | 95.600 | 20% | 19.120 |
35.667 + 25.560 + 19.120= 80.347
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 106, this player's stored replacement finish.
Walter Davis
18.227 composite · No. 139 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 41978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 10.333 | 50% | 5.167 |
| Best 5No. 41978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 18.600 | 30% | 5.580 |
| Best 10No. 41978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 481986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 521981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 581989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 621987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 37.400 | 20% | 7.480 |
5.167 + 5.580 + 7.480= 18.227
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #821 | #139Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 71.3 | 10.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 85.2 | 18.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 95.6 | 37.4Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #916 | #137Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +4.9Better result for this metric. | +4.3 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | +3.9 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | +3.2 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | +2.2 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +377 pts | +2,362 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 1 | 1 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 1 | 2Better result for this metric. |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 66 | 1,033 |
| Minutes | 2,730 | 28,859 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 55.2% | 55.8%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 56.6% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 47.0% | 51.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 27.2% |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.6% | 85.1%Better result for this metric. |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 21.6% |
| Assists per game | 2.4 | 3.8Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 13.0% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 5.9% |
| Rebounds per game | 10.7Better result for this metric. | 3.0 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 2.0% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 0.3% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Alex Groza | Walter Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 21.7Better result for this metric. | 18.9 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
Walter Davis ranks higher in career impact.
Alex GrozaMetricWalter Davis
#821Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#139Leads
+4.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.3
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.2
+377 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,362 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Walter Davis leads every available measure below.
Alex GrozaMetricWalter Davis
31Listed-team regular-season wins677Leads
45.6%Listed-team winning percentage51.6%Leads
050-win team seasons5Leads
060-win team seasons1Leads
1Playoff team seasons11Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
Walter Davis leads every available measure below.
Alex GrozaMetricWalter Davis
1Playoff appearances10Leads
3Playoff games78Leads
1Team playoff wins36Leads
0Finals appearances0
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Walter Davis leads every available measure below.
Alex GrozaMetricWalter Davis
1All-Star6Leads
0MVP0
1All-NBA2Leads
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year1Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Alex GrozaWalter DavisPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Alex GrozaNBA seasonWalter Davis
Season 1
No season
Season 2No season
Season 3No season
Season 4No season
Season 5No season
Season 6No season
Season 7No season
Season 8No season
Season 9No season
Season 10No season
Season 11No season
Season 12No season
Season 13No season
Season 14Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.