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NBA player comparison

Brad Miller vs. Sam Lacey: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Sam Lacey 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.

#315Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114Leads
+4.1LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.4
+2.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
32.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better11.0Leads
+1,634 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,441 ptsLeads
0Top-10 impact seasons1Leads

Career Impact Rank places Sam Lacey #114 and Brad Miller #315. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Brad Miller had the higher single-season impact estimate.

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/brad-miller/sam-lacey/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedBrad Miller39.707 · No. 315Sam 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.

Brad Miller

39.707 composite · No. 315 all-time

Brad Miller's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 212004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate32.33350%16.167
Best 5No. 212004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 422002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 452001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate36.80030%11.040
Best 10No. 212004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 422002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 452001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 482005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 972008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1022007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1071999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate62.50020%12.500

16.167 + 11.040 + 12.500= 39.707

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: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#315#114Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better32.311.0Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better36.814.6Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better62.530.3Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#246#134Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.1Better result for this metric.+3.4
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.1+3.2Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.8+3.0Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.9+2.1Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,634 pts+2,441 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons01Better 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.

Playing time and workload: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Games8681,002
Minutes24,53731,873

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: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
True shooting percentage56.4%Better result for this metric.48.0%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile58.0%Better result for this metric.48.7%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Field-goal percentage48.0%Better result for this metric.44.1%
Three-point percentage33.0%Better result for this metric.18.8%
Free-throw percentage80.4%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: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile15.5%17.0%Better result for this metric.
Assists per game2.83.7Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile13.4%Better result for this metric.22.7%

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile14.8%15.9%Better result for this metric.
Rebounds per game7.19.7Better result for this metric.

Defense

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

Defense: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.4%2.0%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.9%2.8%Better result for this metric.

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Brad Miller and Sam Lacey
MetricBrad MillerSam Lacey
Points per game11.2Better 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

Sam Lacey ranks higher in career impact.

Brad MillerMetricSam Lacey
#315Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114Leads
+4.1LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.4
+2.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
+1,634 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,441 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.

Brad MillerMetricSam Lacey
589Listed-team regular-season wins795Leads
46.6%LeadsListed-team winning percentage0.7%
250-win team seasons6Leads
060-win team seasons6Leads
8LeadsPlayoff 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

Brad Miller leads every available measure below.

Brad MillerMetricSam Lacey
8LeadsPlayoff appearances4
50LeadsPlayoff games29
19LeadsTeam playoff wins11
0Finals 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

Brad Miller leads every available measure below.

Brad MillerMetricSam Lacey
2LeadsAll-Star1
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
Brad MillerSam 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
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.