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NBA player comparison

Dale Davis vs. Michael Cage: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Michael Cage ranks higher in career impact

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.

#1089Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#697Leads
+0.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9Leads
94.0Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better59.7Leads
+956 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,192 ptsLeads
122.0Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better101.6Leads

Career Impact Rank places Michael Cage #697 and Dale Davis #1089. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.

Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.

Career impact · regular seasonhusseyquation.com/compare/dale-davis/michael-cage/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDale Davis103.020 · No. 1,089Michael Cage71.933 · No. 697

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.

Dale Davis

103.020 composite · No. 1,089 all-time

Dale Davis's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 841992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 882001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1101993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate94.00050%47.000
Best 5No. 841992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 882001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1101993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate105.40030%31.620
Best 10No. 841992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 882001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1101993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1211994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1332000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1351997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1381998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1402003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1471999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate122.00020%24.400

47.000 + 31.620 + 24.400= 103.020

Michael Cage

71.933 composite · No. 697 all-time

Michael Cage's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate59.66750%29.833
Best 5No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 901991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 941994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate72.60030%21.780
Best 10No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 901991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 941994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1311992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1381993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1391997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate101.60020%20.320

29.833 + 21.780 + 20.320= 71.933

Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →

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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.

Impact: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1089#697Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better94.059.7Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better105.472.6Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better122.0101.6Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#472#380Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.7+1.3Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.5+1.1Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.3+0.9Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.0+0.3Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+956 pts+1,192 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Games1,0941,140
Minutes29,60629,716

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.

Shooting: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
True shooting percentage54.6%54.9%Better result for this metric.
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile54.7%Better result for this metric.54.3%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Field-goal percentage53.0%Better result for this metric.51.5%
Three-point percentage0.0%0.0%
Free-throw percentage56.2%66.4%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.

Passing: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile5.4%Better result for this metric.4.8%
Assists per game0.90.9
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile11.5%Better result for this metric.12.9%

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile17.0%Better result for this metric.16.8%
Rebounds per game7.9Better result for this metric.7.6

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.3%1.9%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile3.0%Better result for this metric.1.9%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Dale Davis and Michael Cage
MetricDale DavisMichael Cage
Points per game8.0Better result for this metric.7.3

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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Michael Cage ranks higher in career impact.

Dale DavisMetricMichael Cage
#1089Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#697Leads
+0.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9Leads
+956 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,192 ptsLeads

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

Dale Davis leads every available measure below.

Dale DavisMetricMichael Cage
803LeadsListed-team regular-season wins572
59.0%LeadsListed-team winning percentage46.5%
8Leads50-win team seasons2
160-win team seasons1
14LeadsPlayoff team seasons8

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

Dale Davis leads every available measure below.

Dale DavisMetricMichael Cage
14LeadsPlayoff appearances7
137LeadsPlayoff games53
84LeadsTeam playoff wins22
1LeadsFinals appearances0
0Championships0

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.

Dale DavisMetricMichael Cage
1All-StarNot available
0MVPNot available
0All-NBANot available
0All-DefenseNot available
0DPOYNot available
0Rookie 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.

View
Align careers by
Dale DavisMichael CagePeak seasonHistorical source qualification

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

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S13
S14
S15
S16

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.