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NBA player comparison

Anderson Varejão vs. Luol Deng: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Anderson Varejão ranks higher in career impact

Illustrated portrait of NBA player Luol Deng

Luol Deng

2004–05 to 2018–19 · 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.

#448LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#489
+3.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.9
+2.2LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.8
39.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better50.3
+778 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,884 ptsLeads
86.1Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better70.5Leads

Career Impact Rank places Anderson Varejão #448 and Luol Deng #489. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Luol Deng had more total career value.

Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.

Career impact · regular seasonhusseyquation.com/compare/anderson-varejao/luol-deng/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedAnderson Varejão51.960 · No. 448Luol Deng55.707 · No. 489

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.

Anderson Varejão

51.960 composite · No. 448 all-time

Anderson Varejão's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 162012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 402013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate39.00050%19.500
Best 5No. 162012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 402013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 642011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 732009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate50.80030%15.240
Best 10No. 162012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 402013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 642011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 732009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1012006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1052008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1462014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1472005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate86.10020%17.220

19.500 + 15.240 + 17.220= 51.960

Luol Deng

55.707 composite · No. 489 all-time

Luol Deng's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 322006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 582009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate50.33350%25.167
Best 5No. 322006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 582009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 622010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate54.80030%16.440
Best 10No. 322006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 582009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 622010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 712012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 902015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate70.50020%14.100

25.167 + 16.440 + 14.100= 55.707

Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →

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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.

Impact: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#448Better result for this metric.#489
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better39.0Better result for this metric.50.3
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better50.8Better result for this metric.54.8
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better86.170.5Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#575#201Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.9Better result for this metric.+2.9
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.7Better result for this metric.+2.1
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.2Better result for this metric.+1.8
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.2+1.5Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+778 pts+1,884 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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.

Playing time and workload: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Games632902
Minutes15,08730,941

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.

Shooting: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
True shooting percentage54.2%Better result for this metric.52.8%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile55.0%Better result for this metric.52.6%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Field-goal percentage50.9%Better result for this metric.45.6%
Three-point percentage2.3%33.2%Better result for this metric.
Free-throw percentage63.0%76.9%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.

Passing: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile8.0%11.9%Better result for this metric.
Assists per game1.22.3Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile12.2%10.5%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile18.0%Better result for this metric.10.1%
Rebounds per game7.2Better result for this metric.6.1

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile2.0%Better result for this metric.1.4%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile2.2%Better result for this metric.1.1%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Anderson Varejão and Luol Deng
MetricAnderson VarejãoLuol Deng
Points per game7.214.8Better 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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Anderson Varejão ranks higher in career impact.

Anderson VarejãoMetricLuol Deng
#448LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#489
+3.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.9
+2.2LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.8
+778 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,884 ptsLeads

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Anderson VarejãoMetricLuol Deng
683LeadsListed-team regular-season wins672
56.7%LeadsListed-team winning percentage51.9%
8Leads50-win team seasons2
4Leads60-win team seasons1
9Playoff team seasons10Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Anderson VarejãoMetricLuol Deng
6Playoff appearances7Leads
88LeadsPlayoff games62
57LeadsTeam playoff wins32
2LeadsFinals appearances0
0Championships0

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

Luol Deng leads every available measure below.

Anderson VarejãoMetricLuol Deng
0All-Star2Leads
0MVP0
0All-NBA0
1All-Defense1
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0

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.

View
Align careers by
Anderson VarejãoLuol DengPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S13
S14
S15

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.