Buck Johnson
1986–87 to 1992–93 · 7 seasons
NBA player comparison
Buck Johnson vs. Torrey Craig: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Buck Johnson ranks higher in career impact
Torrey Craig
2017–18 to 2024–25 · 8 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.
#1444LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1984
-0.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.0Leads
-0.8LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.0
125.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better190.3
+182 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+129 pts
203.9LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better276.5
Career Impact Rank places Buck Johnson #1444 and Torrey Craig #1984. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Torrey Craig 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 RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedBuck Johnson145.460 · No. 1,444Torrey Craig215.207 · No. 1,984
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.
Buck Johnson
145.460 composite · No. 1,444 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1101987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1441988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 125.000 | 50% | 62.500 |
| Best 5No. 1101987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1441988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1621986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1661990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 140.600 | 30% | 42.180 |
| Best 10No. 1101987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1441988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1621986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1661990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2331991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2361992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 289 | 203.900 | 20% | 40.780 |
62.500 + 42.180 + 40.780= 145.460
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 289, this player's stored replacement finish.
Torrey Craig
215.207 composite · No. 1,984 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1562020–21No. 1782022–23No. 2372018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 190.333 | 50% | 95.167 |
| Best 5No. 1562020–21No. 1782022–23No. 2372018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2442023–24No. 2642019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 215.800 | 30% | 64.740 |
| Best 10No. 1562020–21No. 1782022–23No. 2372018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2442023–24No. 2642019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2712021–22No. 3052017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 370 | 276.500 | 20% | 55.300 |
95.167 + 64.740 + 55.300= 215.207
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 370, this player's stored replacement finish.
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 | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1444Better result for this metric. | #1984 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 125.0Better result for this metric. | 190.3 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 140.6Better result for this metric. | 215.8 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 203.9Better result for this metric. | 276.5 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #1221Better result for this metric. | #1346 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.2 | -0.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.5Better result for this metric. | -0.6 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.8Better result for this metric. | -1.0 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +182 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +129 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
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 | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 505 | 458 |
| Minutes | 11,849 | 8,914 |
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 | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 52.5% | 55.9%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 52.6% | 55.8%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 48.8%Better result for this metric. | 45.2% |
| Three-point percentage | 11.3% | 35.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 73.8%Better result for this metric. | 70.1% |
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 | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 10.1%Better result for this metric. | 6.9% |
| Assists per game | 1.7Better result for this metric. | 1.0 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.4% | 10.7%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 8.4% | 11.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 3.5 | 3.9Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.6%Better result for this metric. | 1.3% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3% | 2.5%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Buck Johnson | Torrey Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 9.1Better result for this metric. | 5.9 |
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
Buck Johnson ranks higher in career impact.
Buck JohnsonMetricTorrey Craig
#1444LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1984
-0.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.0Leads
-0.8LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.0
+182 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+129 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Torrey Craig leads every available measure below.
Buck JohnsonMetricTorrey Craig
290Listed-team regular-season wins516Leads
50.5%Listed-team winning percentage59.1%Leads
150-win team seasons4Leads
060-win team seasons2Leads
5Playoff 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
Torrey Craig leads every available measure below.
Buck JohnsonMetricTorrey Craig
5Playoff appearances6Leads
20Playoff games80Leads
8Team playoff wins49Leads
0Finals appearances1Leads
0Championships0
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.
Buck JohnsonMetricTorrey Craig
Not availableAll-StarNot available
Not availableMVPNot available
Not availableAll-NBANot available
Not availableAll-DefenseNot available
Not availableDPOYNot available
Not availableRookie 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.
Buck JohnsonTorrey CraigPeak 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.
Buck JohnsonNBA seasonTorrey Craig
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
No season
Season 8Observed 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.