Buck Williams
1981–82 to 1997–98 · 17 seasons
NBA player comparison
Buck Williams vs. Dale Ellis: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Dale Ellis ranks higher in career impact
Dale Ellis
1983–84 to 1999–00 · 17 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.
#531Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#402Leads
+2.1Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3Leads
+1.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.7Leads
48.7Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better33.7Leads
+1,899 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,490 pts
83.0Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better82.8Leads
Career Impact Rank places Dale Ellis #402 and Buck Williams #531. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Buck Williams 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 RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedBuck Williams58.813 · No. 531Dale Ellis47.373 · No. 402
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 Williams
58.813 composite · No. 531 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 341982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 511981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 48.667 | 50% | 24.333 |
| Best 5No. 341982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 511981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 671984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 851986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 59.600 | 30% | 17.880 |
| Best 10No. 341982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 511981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 671984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 851986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 881983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 911991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1151989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1171990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 83.000 | 20% | 16.600 |
24.333 + 17.880 + 16.600= 58.813
Dale Ellis
47.373 composite · No. 402 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 33.667 | 50% | 16.833 |
| Best 5No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 46.600 | 30% | 13.980 |
| Best 10No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 991991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1101995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1121990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1321993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1421992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 82.800 | 20% | 16.560 |
16.833 + 13.980 + 16.560= 47.373
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 Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #531 | #402Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 48.7 | 33.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 59.6 | 46.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 83.0 | 82.8Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #200Better result for this metric. | #283 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.1 | +2.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.4 | +2.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.1 | +1.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.6 | +0.8Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,899 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +1,490 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 Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,307 | 1,209 |
| Minutes | 42,464 | 34,778 |
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 Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 58.7%Better result for this metric. | 56.7% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 60.4%Better result for this metric. | 57.8% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 54.9%Better result for this metric. | 47.9% |
| Three-point percentage | 16.7% | 40.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 66.4% | 78.4%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 | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.7% | 8.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.3 | 1.4Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.4% | 9.3%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.8%Better result for this metric. | 6.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 10.0Better result for this metric. | 3.5 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.2% | 1.5%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.5%Better result for this metric. | 0.3% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Buck Williams | Dale Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 12.8 | 15.7Better 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.
Regular Season Impact
Dale Ellis ranks higher in career impact.
Buck WilliamsMetricDale Ellis
#531Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#402Leads
+2.1Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3Leads
+1.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.7Leads
+1,899 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,490 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.
Buck WilliamsMetricDale Ellis
753Listed-team regular-season wins800Leads
54.0%LeadsListed-team winning percentage52.4%
5Leads50-win team seasons2
160-win team seasons1
14Playoff team seasons14
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
Buck Williams leads every available measure below.
Buck WilliamsMetricDale Ellis
14LeadsPlayoff appearances10
108LeadsPlayoff games73
53LeadsTeam playoff wins32
2LeadsFinals appearances0
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Buck Williams leads every available measure below.
Buck WilliamsMetricDale Ellis
3LeadsAll-Star1
0MVP0
1All-NBA1
4LeadsAll-Defense0
0DPOY0
1LeadsRookie 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.
Buck WilliamsDale EllisPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
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 WilliamsNBA seasonDale Ellis
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
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.