David Thompson
1980–81
77 games · 2,620 minutes
NBA player comparison
David Thompson vs. Don Buse: 1980–81 season
Regular-season verdict
Don Buse leads in impact for 1980–81
Don Buse ranks ahead of David Thompson in estimated impact while playing. This compares regular-season performance, not total contribution across the season.
Don Buse
1980–81
58 games · 1,095 minutes
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.
+0.7Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.0Leads
#78Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#64Leads
77Games58
2,620Minutes1,095
25.5LeadsPPG5.1
57.1%LeadsTS%47.1%
Don Buse's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +1.0, compared with +0.7 for David Thompson. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 1980–81 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.
David Thompson: 77 games and 2,620 minutes. Don Buse: 58 games and 1,095 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.
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.
Full comparison · 1980–81 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.
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.7 | +1.0Better result for this metric. |
| Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best | #78 | #64Better result for this metric. |
David Thompson: verified lineup window unavailable. Don Buse: 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.
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 77 | 58 |
| Minutes | 2,620 | 1,095 |
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.
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.1%Better result for this metric. | 47.1% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 50.6%Better result for this metric. | 39.7% |
| Three-point percentage | 25.6% | 32.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 79.5%Better result for this metric. | 76.9% |
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 | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 3.0Better result for this metric. | 2.4 |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 3.7Better result for this metric. | 1.4 |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | David Thompson | Don Buse |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 25.5Better result for this metric. | 5.1 |
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
Don Buse leads in impact for 1980–81.
David ThompsonMetricDon Buse
+0.7Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.0Leads
#78Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#64Leads
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.
David ThompsonMetricDon Buse
348Listed-team regular-season wins384Leads
53.0%LeadsListed-team winning percentage52.0%
150-win team seasons2Leads
060-win team seasons0
6Playoff team seasons6
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
Don Buse leads every available measure below.
David ThompsonMetricDon Buse
5Playoff appearances6Leads
27Playoff games35Leads
10Team playoff wins15Leads
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
The advantages are split across the available measures.
David ThompsonMetricDon Buse
4LeadsAll-Star1
0MVP0
2LeadsAll-NBA0
0All-Defense4Leads
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.
Selected seasons
Box impact
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
David ThompsonDon Buse
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average