Cody Zeller
2013–14 to 2023–24 · 11 seasons
NBA player comparison
Cody Zeller vs. Mel Counts: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Mel Counts ranks higher in career impact
Mel Counts
1964–65 to 1975–76 · 12 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.
#1249Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#469Leads
+0.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8
+0.6LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1
102.7Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better50.3Leads
+454 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+471 ptsLeads
186.3Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better67.3Leads
Career Impact Rank places Mel Counts #469 and Cody Zeller #1249. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Cody Zeller 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 calculatedCody Zeller121.773 · No. 1,249Mel Counts54.227 · No. 469
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.
Cody Zeller
121.773 composite · No. 1,249 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 902016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1042019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1142014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 102.667 | 50% | 51.333 |
| Best 5No. 902016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1042019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1142014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1212015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 110.600 | 30% | 33.180 |
| Best 10No. 902016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1042019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1142014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1212015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1272020–21No. 2252013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2282017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 365 | 186.300 | 20% | 37.260 |
51.333 + 33.180 + 37.260= 121.773
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 365, this player's stored replacement finish.
Mel Counts
54.227 composite · No. 469 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 491967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 501970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 521968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 50.333 | 50% | 25.167 |
| Best 5No. 491967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 501970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 521968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 531974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 561965–66Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 52.000 | 30% | 15.600 |
| Best 10No. 491967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 501970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 521968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 531974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 561965–66Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761964–65Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 821972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 881966–67Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 67.300 | 20% | 13.460 |
25.167 + 15.600 + 13.460= 54.227
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 | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1249 | #469Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 102.7 | 50.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 110.6 | 52.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 186.3 | 67.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #827 | #809Better result for this metric. |
| 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 | +0.8Better result for this metric. | +0.4 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.6Better result for this metric. | +0.1 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -0.6 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +454 pts | +471 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| 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 | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 552 | 789 |
| Minutes | 11,510 | 13,723 |
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 | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.5%Better result for this metric. | 47.9% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 57.6%Better result for this metric. | 47.0% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 52.0%Better result for this metric. | 43.5% |
| Three-point percentage | 22.0% | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 72.7% | 76.4%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 | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 10.1% | 11.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.3 | 1.4Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 12.6% | Unavailable |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 14.8% | 14.8% |
| Rebounds per game | 5.7 | 6.0Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.4% | 1.6%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.5%Better result for this metric. | 1.9% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Cody Zeller | Mel Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 7.9 | 8.3Better 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
Mel Counts ranks higher in career impact.
Cody ZellerMetricMel Counts
#1249Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#469Leads
+0.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8
+0.6LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1
+454 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+471 ptsLeads
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.
Cody ZellerMetricMel Counts
411Listed-team regular-season wins1,142Leads
47.0%LeadsListed-team winning percentage0.4%
050-win team seasons14Leads
060-win team seasons14Leads
4Playoff team seasons8Leads
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
Mel Counts leads every available measure below.
Cody ZellerMetricMel Counts
3Playoff appearances8Leads
32Playoff games85Leads
16Team playoff wins61Leads
1Finals appearances6Leads
0Championships2Leads
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.
Cody ZellerMetricMel Counts
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.
Cody ZellerMel CountsPeak 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.
Cody ZellerNBA seasonMel Counts
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
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.