Dale Ellis
1983–84 to 1999–00 · 17 seasons
NBA player comparison
Dale Ellis vs. Joe Johnson: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Dale Ellis ranks higher in career impact
Joe Johnson
2001–02 to 2021–22 · 18 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.
#402LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#428
+2.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.8Leads
+1.7Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3Leads
33.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better37.7
+1,490 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,875 ptsLeads
82.8LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better88.0
Career Impact Rank places Dale Ellis #402 and Joe Johnson #428. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Joe Johnson 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.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDale Ellis47.373 · No. 402Joe Johnson49.993 · No. 428
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 Ellis
47.373 composite · No. 402 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 33.667 | 50% | 16.833 |
| Best 5No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 46.600 | 30% | 13.980 |
| Best 10No. 321988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 991991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1101995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1121990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1321993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1421992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 82.800 | 20% | 16.560 |
16.833 + 13.980 + 16.560= 47.373
Joe Johnson
49.993 composite · No. 428 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 332006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 392011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 37.667 | 50% | 18.833 |
| Best 5No. 332006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 392011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 482008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 652007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 45.200 | 30% | 13.560 |
| Best 10No. 332006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 392011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 412009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 482008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 652007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1232010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1452013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 88.000 | 20% | 17.600 |
18.833 + 13.560 + 17.600= 49.993
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 | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #402Better result for this metric. | #428 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 33.7Better result for this metric. | 37.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 46.6 | 45.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 82.8Better result for this metric. | 88.0 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #283 | #202Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.3 | +2.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.0 | +2.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.7 | +2.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.8 | +1.2Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,490 pts | +1,875 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 | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,209 | 1,277 |
| Minutes | 34,778 | 44,236 |
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 | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 56.7%Better result for this metric. | 53.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 57.8%Better result for this metric. | 54.2% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 47.9%Better result for this metric. | 44.1% |
| Three-point percentage | 40.3%Better result for this metric. | 37.1% |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.4% | 80.2%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 | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 8.6% | 21.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.4 | 3.9Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 9.3%Better result for this metric. | 11.0% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 3.5 | 4.0Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.5%Better result for this metric. | 1.3% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.3% | 0.4%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Dale Ellis | Joe Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 15.7 | 16.0Better 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
Dale Ellis ranks higher in career impact.
Dale EllisMetricJoe Johnson
#402LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#428
+2.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.8Leads
+1.7Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3Leads
+1,490 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,875 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Joe Johnson leads every available measure below.
Dale EllisMetricJoe Johnson
800Listed-team regular-season wins912Leads
52.4%Listed-team winning percentage53.5%Leads
250-win team seasons5Leads
160-win team seasons2Leads
14Playoff team seasons16Leads
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
Joe Johnson leads every available measure below.
Dale EllisMetricJoe Johnson
10Playoff appearances13Leads
73Playoff games120Leads
32Team playoff wins62Leads
0Finals appearances0
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Joe Johnson leads every available measure below.
Dale EllisMetricJoe Johnson
1All-Star7Leads
0MVP0
1All-NBA1
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie 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.
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.
Dale EllisJoe JohnsonPeak 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.
Dale EllisNBA seasonJoe Johnson
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 17
No season
Season 18Observed 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.