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NBA player comparison

Bailey Howell vs. Sam Lacey: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Bailey Howell ranks higher in career impact

Illustrated portrait of NBA player Sam Lacey

Sam Lacey

1970–71 to 1982–83 · 13 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.

#69LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114
+3.8LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.4
+2.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
8.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better11.0
+2,648 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,441 pts
2LeadsTop-10 impact seasons1

Career Impact Rank places Bailey Howell #69 and Sam Lacey #114. 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 · regular seasonhusseyquation.com/compare/bailey-howell/sam-lacey/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedBailey Howell10.407 · No. 69Sam Lacey15.940 · No. 114

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.

Bailey Howell

10.407 composite · No. 69 all-time

Bailey Howell's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 61962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8.33350%4.167
Best 5No. 61962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141964–65Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate10.40030%3.120
Best 10No. 61962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141964–65Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161966–67Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181965–66Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 291959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate15.60020%3.120

4.167 + 3.120 + 3.120= 10.407

Sam Lacey

15.940 composite · No. 114 all-time

Sam Lacey's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate11.00050%5.500
Best 5No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 221980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate14.60030%4.380
Best 10No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 221980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 731972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate30.30020%6.060

5.500 + 4.380 + 6.060= 15.940

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: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#69Better result for this metric.#114
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better8.3Better result for this metric.11.0
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better10.4Better result for this metric.14.6
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better15.6Better result for this metric.30.3
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#117Better result for this metric.#134
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.8Better result for this metric.+3.4
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0+3.2Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.5+3.0Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.7+2.1Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,648 ptsBetter result for this metric.+2,441 pts
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons2Better result for this metric.1

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: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Games9501,002
Minutes30,62731,873

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: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
True shooting percentage54.4%Better result for this metric.48.0%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile54.9%Better result for this metric.48.7%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Field-goal percentage48.0%Better result for this metric.44.1%
Three-point percentageUnavailable18.8%
Free-throw percentage76.2%Better result for this metric.73.8%

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: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile8.0%17.0%Better result for this metric.
Assists per game2.03.7Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profileUnavailable22.7%

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profileUnavailable15.9%
Rebounds per game9.9Better result for this metric.9.7

Defense

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

Defense: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profileUnavailable2.0%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profileUnavailable2.8%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Bailey Howell and Sam Lacey
MetricBailey HowellSam Lacey
Points per game18.7Better result for this metric.10.3

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

Bailey Howell ranks higher in career impact.

Bailey HowellMetricSam Lacey
#69LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114
+3.8LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.4
+2.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
+2,648 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,441 pts

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.

Bailey HowellMetricSam Lacey
727Listed-team regular-season wins795Leads
0.5%Listed-team winning percentage0.7%Leads
7Leads50-win team seasons6
7Leads60-win team seasons6
10LeadsPlayoff team seasons5

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

Bailey Howell leads every available measure below.

Bailey HowellMetricSam Lacey
10LeadsPlayoff appearances4
86LeadsPlayoff games29
44LeadsTeam playoff wins11
2LeadsFinals appearances0
2LeadsChampionships0

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

Context

Awards

Bailey Howell leads every available measure below.

Bailey HowellMetricSam Lacey
6LeadsAll-Star1
0MVP0
1LeadsAll-NBA0
0All-Defense0
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
Bailey HowellSam LaceyPeak 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
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.