Bill Walton
1974–75 to 1986–87 · 10 seasons
NBA player comparison
Bill Walton vs. Rich Kelley: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Bill Walton ranks higher in career impact
Rich Kelley
1975–76 to 1985–86 · 11 seasons
Impact comparison
#107LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#196
+7.8LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.1
+5.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.1
2.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better12.3
+1,824 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,350 pts
4LeadsTop-10 impact seasons1
Career Impact Rank places Bill Walton #107 and Rich Kelley #196. 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 calculatedBill Walton15.113 · No. 107Rich Kelley25.867 · No. 196
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.
Bill Walton
15.113 composite · No. 107 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 21977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.667 | 50% | 1.333 |
| Best 5No. 21977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 5.600 | 30% | 1.680 |
| Best 10No. 21977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 247.5 | 60.500 | 20% | 12.100 |
1.333 + 1.680 + 12.100= 15.113
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 247.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
Rich Kelley
25.867 composite · No. 196 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.333 | 50% | 6.167 |
| Best 5No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 17.600 | 30% | 5.280 |
| Best 10No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1311982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1731983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1811984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 72.100 | 20% | 14.420 |
6.167 + 5.280 + 14.420= 25.867
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 | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #107Better result for this metric. | #196 |
| Best 3 average finish | 2.7Better result for this metric. | 12.3 |
| Best 5 average finish | 5.6Better result for this metric. | 17.6 |
| Best 10 average finish | 60.5Better result for this metric. | 72.1 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #211Better result for this metric. | #325 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +7.8Better result for this metric. | +4.1 |
| Best 3 average impact | +6.5Better result for this metric. | +3.5 |
| Best 5 average impact | +5.4Better result for this metric. | +3.1 |
| Best 10 average impact | Unavailable | +1.2 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,824 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +1,350 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 3Better result for this metric. | 1 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 4Better 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.
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 468 | 814 |
| Minutes | 13,250 | 17,711 |
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 | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 55.1% | 56.5%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 55.5% | 56.2%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 52.1%Better result for this metric. | 48.8% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Free-throw percentage | 66.0% | 78.3%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 | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.1%Better result for this metric. | 15.3% |
| Assists per game | 3.4Better result for this metric. | 2.6 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 21.1%Better result for this metric. | 26.8% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 19.6%Better result for this metric. | 16.3% |
| Rebounds per game | 10.5Better result for this metric. | 7.0 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3% | 1.7%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 4.2%Better result for this metric. | 2.1% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Bill Walton | Rich Kelley |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 13.3Better result for this metric. | 7.6 |
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
Bill Walton ranks higher in career impact.
Bill WaltonMetricRich Kelley
#107LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#196
+7.8LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.1
+5.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.1
+1,824 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,350 pts
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.
Bill WaltonMetricRich Kelley
518Listed-team regular-season wins572Leads
1.3%Listed-team winning percentage2.7%Leads
5Leads50-win team seasons3
3Leads60-win team seasons1
4Playoff team seasons7Leads
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
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Bill WaltonMetricRich Kelley
4Playoff appearances6Leads
49LeadsPlayoff games45
44LeadsTeam playoff wins17
3LeadsFinals appearances0
2LeadsChampionships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Bill WaltonMetricRich Kelley
2All-StarNot available
1MVPNot available
2All-NBANot available
2All-DefenseNot available
0DPOYNot available
0Rookie of the YearNot available
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.
Bill WaltonRich KelleyPeak 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.
Bill WaltonNBA seasonRich Kelley
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
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.