Cedric Maxwell
1986–87
81 games · 1,968 minutes
NBA player comparison
Cedric Maxwell vs. Otis Birdsong: 1986–87 season
Regular-season verdict
There is not enough comparable regular-season data to name a leader
Otis Birdsong
1986–87
7 games · 127 minutes
Impact comparison
Impact estimate is measured in points per 100 possessions above league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Impact Rate rank is a league place, not a 0–100 score: No. 1 is best.
+1.0Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better—
#56Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best—
81Games7
1,968Minutes127
10.0LeadsPPG6.3
62.3%LeadsTS%47.9%
Season impact is unavailable for at least one player in this scope. hussEyquation does not substitute a different measure or declare a winner.
Cedric Maxwell: 81 games and 1,968 minutes. Otis Birdsong: 7 games and 127 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.
Read turnover rate alongside offensive workload. Offensive usage measures the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on the court—not every touch, pass, or act of playmaking. These rows provide context; they are not extra points added to the ranking.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Behind the estimate
Why the model rates them this way
A verified breakdown of this season’s published estimate is unavailable. We do not substitute another season’s calculation.
What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. A verified teammate-shooting comparison is unavailable for this selected season. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.
Full comparison · 1986–87 season
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?
The impact estimate compares performance while playing, not total contribution over the season. The individual-stat estimate plus the lineup adjustment gives the final estimate.
| Metric | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.0 | Unavailable |
| Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best | #56 | Unavailable |
Cedric Maxwell: verified lineup window unavailable. Otis Birdsong: verified lineup window unavailable. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.
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 | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 81 | 7 |
| Minutes | 1,968 | 127 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. 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 | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 62.3%Better result for this metric. | 47.9% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 53.0%Better result for this metric. | 45.2% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Free-throw percentage | 77.5%Better result for this metric. | 66.7% |
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 | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 2.4 | 2.4 |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 5.4Better result for this metric. | 1.0 |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Cedric Maxwell | Otis Birdsong |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 10.0Better result for this metric. | 6.3 |
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.
Regular Season Impact
There is not enough comparable regular-season data to name a leader.
Cedric MaxwellMetricOtis Birdsong
+1.0Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
#56Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is bestNot available
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.
Cedric MaxwellMetricOtis Birdsong
560LeadsListed-team regular-season wins470
56.9%LeadsListed-team winning percentage47.8%
6Leads50-win team seasons0
5Leads60-win team seasons0
8Playoff team seasons9Leads
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
Cedric Maxwell leads every available measure below.
Cedric MaxwellMetricOtis Birdsong
8LeadsPlayoff appearances7
102LeadsPlayoff games35
60LeadsTeam playoff wins14
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.
Cedric MaxwellMetricOtis Birdsong
Not availableAll-Star4
Not availableMVP0
Not availableAll-NBA1
Not availableAll-Defense0
Not availableDPOY0
Not availableRookie 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.
Selected seasons
Box impact
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
Cedric MaxwellOtis Birdsong
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.