Allen Iverson
1996–97 to 2009–10 · 14 seasons
NBA player comparison
Allen Iverson vs. Elgin Baylor: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Elgin Baylor ranks higher in career impact
Elgin Baylor
1958–59 to 1971–72 · 14 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.
#72Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#12Leads
+5.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+6.4Leads
+5.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+5.5Leads
7.7Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better1.3Leads
0Seasons ranked No. 12Leads
+3,981 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+4,809 ptsLeads
Career Impact Rank places Elgin Baylor #12 and Allen Iverson #72. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
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 calculatedAllen Iverson10.793 · No. 72Elgin Baylor2.027 · No. 12
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.
Allen Iverson
10.793 composite · No. 72 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 62000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 7.667 | 50% | 3.833 |
| Best 5No. 62000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 132004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 10.600 | 30% | 3.180 |
| Best 10No. 62000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 132004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 172005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 272002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 342007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 382003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 18.900 | 20% | 3.780 |
3.833 + 3.180 + 3.780= 10.793
Elgin Baylor
2.027 composite · No. 12 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.333 | 50% | 0.667 |
| Best 5No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.800 | 30% | 0.540 |
| Best 10No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 81966–67Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 4.100 | 20% | 0.820 |
0.667 + 0.540 + 0.820= 2.027
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 | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #72 | #12Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 7.7 | 1.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 10.6 | 1.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 18.9 | 4.1Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #48 | #30Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +5.7 | +6.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +5.5 | +6.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +5.3 | +5.5Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +4.3 | +4.3 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +3,981 pts | +4,809 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 2Better result for this metric. |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 6Better result for this metric. |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 3 | 10Better 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 | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 914 | 846 |
| Minutes | 37,584 | 33,863 |
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 | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 51.8%Better result for this metric. | 49.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 51.7%Better result for this metric. | 50.2% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 42.5% | 43.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 31.3% | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.0% | 78.0% |
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 | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 28.8%Better result for this metric. | 16.7% |
| Assists per game | 6.2Better result for this metric. | 4.3 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 11.6% | Unavailable |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.3% | Unavailable |
| Rebounds per game | 3.7 | 13.5Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.9% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.3% | Unavailable |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Allen Iverson | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 26.7 | 27.4Better result for this metric. |
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
Elgin Baylor ranks higher in career impact.
Allen IversonMetricElgin Baylor
#72Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#12Leads
+5.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+6.4Leads
+5.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+5.5Leads
+3,981 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+4,809 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Allen IversonMetricElgin Baylor
681Listed-team regular-season wins894Leads
50.0%LeadsListed-team winning percentage0.6%
350-win team seasons10Leads
060-win team seasons8Leads
10Playoff team seasons14Leads
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
Elgin Baylor leads every available measure below.
Allen IversonMetricElgin Baylor
8Playoff appearances12Leads
71Playoff games134Leads
30Team playoff wins76Leads
1Finals appearances8Leads
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Allen IversonMetricElgin Baylor
11All-Star11
1LeadsMVP0
7All-NBA10Leads
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
1Rookie of the Year1
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.
Allen IversonElgin BaylorPeak 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.
Allen IversonNBA seasonElgin Baylor
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Observed 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.