Chris Kaman
2003–04 to 2015–16 · 13 seasons
NBA player comparison
2003–04 to 2015–16 · 13 seasons
1978–79 to 1991–92 · 14 seasons
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.
Career Impact Rank places Wayne Cooper #1256 and Chris Kaman #1693. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Chris Kaman had the higher single-season impact estimate and 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.
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.
175.047 composite · No. 1,693 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 902007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1712005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2022011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 154.333 | 50% | 77.167 |
| Best 5No. 902007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1712005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2022011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2182010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2312009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 182.400 | 30% | 54.720 |
| Best 10No. 902007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1712005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2022011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2182010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2312009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2332008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2352013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2532014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2612006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2642004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 215.800 | 20% | 43.160 |
77.167 + 54.720 + 43.160= 175.047
122.573 composite · No. 1,256 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 701988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1541981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 101.667 | 50% | 50.833 |
| Best 5No. 701988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1541981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1581984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1821983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 129.000 | 30% | 38.700 |
| Best 10No. 701988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1541981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1581984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1821983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1911987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1961989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2021979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2051978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2131982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 165.200 | 20% | 33.040 |
50.833 + 38.700 + 33.040= 122.573
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
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
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 | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1693 | #1256Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 154.3 | 101.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 182.4 | 129.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 215.8 | 165.2Better result for this metric. |
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #1404Better result for this metric. | #1424 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.9Better result for this metric. | +0.8 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.4 | +0.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.8 | -0.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -1.3Better result for this metric. | -1.6 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +104 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +99 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
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 | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 735 | 984 |
| Minutes | 19,642 | 20,274 |
3 · Individual skills
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.
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 52.5%Better result for this metric. | 49.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 52.6%Better result for this metric. | 49.4% |
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 48.9%Better result for this metric. | 45.7% |
| Three-point percentage | 4.2% | 14.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 74.3%Better result for this metric. | 73.6% |
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 | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 9.1%Better result for this metric. | 5.4% |
| Assists per game | 1.3Better result for this metric. | 0.9 |
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.3% | 13.3%Better result for this metric. |
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.6% | 16.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 7.6Better result for this metric. | 6.2 |
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.9%Better result for this metric. | 0.7% |
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.8% | 4.5%Better result for this metric. |
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Chris Kaman | Wayne Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 11.2Better result for this metric. | 7.9 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
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.
Wayne Cooper ranks higher in career impact.
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Wayne Cooper leads every available measure below.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Wayne Cooper leads every available measure below.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
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.
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.
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.