Dereck Lively II
2023–24 to 2025–26 · 3 seasons · active
NBA player comparison
Dereck Lively II vs. George Kaftan: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
George Kaftan ranks higher in career impact so far
George Kaftan
1950–51 to 1952–53 · 3 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.
#2219Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#736Leads
+2.4LeadsPeak box impact so farEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1
+1.4LeadsAverage box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.2
#59Best league finish#41Leads
+131 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+58 pts
98Games136Leads
Career Impact Rank places George Kaftan #736 and Dereck Lively II #2219. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Dereck Lively II 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 calculatedDereck Lively II240.153 · No. 2,219George Kaftan74.613 · No. 736
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.
Dereck Lively II
240.153 composite · No. 2,219 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 592024–25No. 1322023–241 open slot × No. 381 | 190.667 | 50% | 95.333 |
| Best 5No. 592024–25No. 1322023–243 open slots × No. 381 | 266.800 | 30% | 80.040 |
| Best 10No. 592024–25No. 1322023–248 open slots × No. 381 | 323.900 | 20% | 64.780 |
95.333 + 80.040 + 64.780= 240.153
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 381, this player's stored replacement finish.
George Kaftan
74.613 composite · No. 736 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 411951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 531950–51Reconstructed historical estimate1 open slot × No. 101.5 | 65.167 | 50% | 32.583 |
| Best 5No. 411951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 531950–51Reconstructed historical estimate3 open slots × No. 101.5 | 79.700 | 30% | 23.910 |
| Best 10No. 411951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 531950–51Reconstructed historical estimate8 open slots × No. 101.5 | 90.600 | 20% | 18.120 |
32.583 + 23.910 + 18.120= 74.613
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 101.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
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 | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #2219 | #736Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 190.7 | 65.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 266.8 | 79.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 323.9 | 90.6Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #1340Better result for this metric. | #1599 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.4Better result for this metric. | +0.1 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +131 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +58 pts |
| 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 | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 98 | 136 |
| Minutes | 2,242 | 2,283 |
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 | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 71.6%Better result for this metric. | 43.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 71.6% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 72.5%Better result for this metric. | 36.9% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 57.9% | 65.6%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 | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 10.4% | Unavailable |
| Assists per game | 1.6Better result for this metric. | 1.4 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 14.3% | Unavailable |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.9% | Unavailable |
| Rebounds per game | 7.0Better result for this metric. | 3.1 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.5% | Unavailable |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Dereck Lively II | George Kaftan |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 8.4Better result for this metric. | 5.6 |
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.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
George Kaftan ranks higher in career impact so far.
Dereck Lively IIMetricGeorge Kaftan
#2219Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#736Leads
+2.4LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+131 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+58 pts
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.
Dereck Lively IIMetricGeorge Kaftan
115LeadsListed-team regular-season wins89
46.7%LeadsListed-team winning percentage44.1%
1Leads50-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
1Playoff team seasons3Leads
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
George Kaftan leads every available measure below.
Dereck Lively IIMetricGeorge Kaftan
1Playoff appearances2Leads
21Playoff games21
13Team playoff wins16Leads
1Finals appearances2Leads
0Championships0
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.
Dereck Lively IIMetricGeorge Kaftan
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. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
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.
Dereck Lively IIGeorge KaftanPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
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.
Dereck Lively IINBA seasonGeorge Kaftan
Season 1
Season 2
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.