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NBA player comparison

Clifford Ray vs. Rich Kelley: 1979–80 season

hussEyquation1979–80 season · regular-season impact
Regular-season verdict

Rich Kelley leads in impact for 1979–80

Rich Kelley ranks ahead of Clifford Ray in estimated impact while playing. This compares regular-season performance, not total contribution across the season.

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.

-1.4Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8Leads
#148Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#61Leads
81Games80
1,683Minutes1,839
6.0PPG8.8Leads
54.6%TS%56.6%Leads

Rich Kelley's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +0.8, compared with -1.4 for Clifford Ray. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 1979–80 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.

Clifford Ray: 81 games and 1,683 minutes. Rich Kelley: 80 games and 1,839 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.

1979–80 season · regular-season impacthusseyquation.com/compare/clifford-ray/rich-kelley/1979-80

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.

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Full comparison · 1979–80 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.

Impact: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.4+0.8Better result for this metric.
Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#148#61Better result for this metric.

Clifford Ray: verified lineup window unavailable. Rich Kelley: 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.

Playing time and workload: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Games8180
Minutes1,6831,839

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.

Shooting: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
True shooting percentage54.6%56.6%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Field-goal percentage53.0%Better result for this metric.47.3%
Three-point percentage0.0%0.0%
Free-throw percentage56.4%78.7%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.

Passing: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Assists per game2.3Better result for this metric.2.2

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Rebounds per game5.86.4Better result for this metric.

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Clifford Ray and Rich Kelley
MetricClifford RayRich Kelley
Points per game6.08.8Better 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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Rich Kelley leads in impact for 1979–80.

Clifford RayMetricRich Kelley
-1.4Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8Leads
#148Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#61Leads

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.

Clifford RayMetricRich Kelley
600LeadsListed-team regular-season wins572
0.6%Listed-team winning percentage2.7%Leads
5Leads50-win team seasons3
5Leads60-win team seasons1
6Playoff 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.

Context

Playoff Résumé

Clifford Ray leads every available measure below.

Clifford RayMetricRich Kelley
6Playoff appearances6
60LeadsPlayoff games45
31LeadsTeam playoff wins17
1LeadsFinals appearances0
1LeadsChampionships0

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Clifford RayMetricRich Kelley
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.

Selected seasons

Box impact

Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.

Clifford RayRich Kelley

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

1
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.