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NBA player comparison

Boris Diaw vs. Caron Butler: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Caron Butler ranks higher in career impact

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.

#818Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#741Leads
+2.6Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.7Leads
+1.2Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5Leads
65.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better48.7Leads
+1,087 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+885 pts
118.8LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better147.5

Career Impact Rank places Caron Butler #741 and Boris Diaw #818. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Boris Diaw 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/boris-diaw/caron-butler/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedBoris Diaw80.247 · No. 818Caron Butler75.133 · No. 741

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.

Boris Diaw

80.247 composite · No. 818 all-time

Boris Diaw's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 402005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 792010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate65.33350%32.667
Best 5No. 402005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 792010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1072013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate79.40030%23.820
Best 10No. 402005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 792010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1072013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1222015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1272012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1712011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1812006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1902014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate118.80020%23.760

32.667 + 23.820 + 23.760= 80.247

Caron Butler

75.133 composite · No. 741 all-time

Caron Butler's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 182007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 422008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate48.66750%24.333
Best 5No. 182007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 422008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1232005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate71.00030%21.300
Best 10No. 182007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 422008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 862006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1232005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1702004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1992013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2272009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2582010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2662012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate147.50020%29.500

24.333 + 21.300 + 29.500= 75.133

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: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#818#741Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better65.348.7Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better79.471.0Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better118.8Better result for this metric.147.5
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#422Better result for this metric.#514
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.6+3.7Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.6+2.3Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.2+1.5Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.4Better result for this metric.+0.0
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,087 ptsBetter result for this metric.+885 pts
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: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Games1,064881
Minutes28,76828,333

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: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
True shooting percentage54.7%Better result for this metric.52.3%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile56.0%Better result for this metric.53.1%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Field-goal percentage49.3%Better result for this metric.43.4%
Three-point percentage33.6%34.8%Better result for this metric.
Free-throw percentage71.7%84.7%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: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile19.9%Better result for this metric.12.6%
Assists per game3.5Better result for this metric.2.3
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile18.2%11.7%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile9.5%Better result for this metric.9.0%
Rebounds per game4.45.0Better result for this metric.

Defense

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

Defense: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.1%2.2%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.4%Better result for this metric.0.6%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Boris Diaw and Caron Butler
MetricBoris DiawCaron Butler
Points per game8.614.1Better 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

Caron Butler ranks higher in career impact.

Boris DiawMetricCaron Butler
#818Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#741Leads
+2.6Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.7Leads
+1.2Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5Leads
+1,087 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+885 pts

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

Context

Team Success

Boris Diaw leads every available measure below.

Boris DiawMetricCaron Butler
720LeadsListed-team regular-season wins619
56.3%LeadsListed-team winning percentage47.8%
9Leads50-win team seasons4
3Leads60-win team seasons0
10LeadsPlayoff team seasons9

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

Boris Diaw leads every available measure below.

Boris DiawMetricCaron Butler
10LeadsPlayoff appearances7
119LeadsPlayoff games65
71LeadsTeam playoff wins28
2LeadsFinals appearances0
1LeadsChampionships0

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

Context

Awards

Caron Butler leads every available measure below.

Boris DiawMetricCaron Butler
0All-Star2Leads
0MVP0
0All-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
Boris DiawCaron ButlerPeak 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

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.