Derek Fisher
1996–97 to 2013–14 · 18 seasons
NBA player comparison
Derek Fisher vs. Kurt Thomas: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Derek Fisher ranks higher in career impact
Kurt Thomas
1995–96 to 2012–13 · 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.
#1032LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1236
+1.1LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.5
+0.6LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.0
84.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better105.7
+731 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+471 pts
129.1LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better153.4
Career Impact Rank places Derek Fisher #1032 and Kurt Thomas #1236. 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 RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDerek Fisher97.567 · No. 1,032Kurt Thomas120.653 · No. 1,236
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.
Derek Fisher
97.567 composite · No. 1,032 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 752001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1012000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 84.333 | 50% | 42.167 |
| Best 5No. 752001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1012000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1162008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 98.600 | 30% | 29.580 |
| Best 10No. 752001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1012000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1162008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1242004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1551997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1562007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1602003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1631998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1642002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 129.100 | 20% | 25.820 |
42.167 + 29.580 + 25.820= 97.567
Kurt Thomas
120.653 composite · No. 1,236 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1002007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1092008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 105.667 | 50% | 52.833 |
| Best 5No. 1002007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1092008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1402002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1622004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 123.800 | 30% | 37.140 |
| Best 10No. 1002007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1092008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1402002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1622004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1672010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1742003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1811998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1912001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2021999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 153.400 | 20% | 30.680 |
52.833 + 37.140 + 30.680= 120.653
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 | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1032Better result for this metric. | #1236 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 84.3Better result for this metric. | 105.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 98.6Better result for this metric. | 123.8 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 129.1Better result for this metric. | 153.4 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #604Better result for this metric. | #811 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.1Better result for this metric. | +0.5 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.8Better result for this metric. | +0.3 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.6Better result for this metric. | +0.0 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.1Better result for this metric. | -0.5 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +731 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +471 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 | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,287 | 1,110 |
| Minutes | 32,719 | 27,160 |
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 | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 51.4% | 51.9%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 52.4%Better result for this metric. | 52.1% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 39.9% | 48.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 37.4%Better result for this metric. | 28.1% |
| Free-throw percentage | 81.7%Better result for this metric. | 76.0% |
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 | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 19.2%Better result for this metric. | 7.9% |
| Assists per game | 3.0Better result for this metric. | 1.1 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 12.8% | 12.7%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 4.8% | 15.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 2.1 | 6.6Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.3%Better result for this metric. | 1.5% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.2% | 2.3%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Derek Fisher | Kurt Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 8.3Better result for this metric. | 8.1 |
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
Derek Fisher ranks higher in career impact.
Derek FisherMetricKurt Thomas
#1032LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1236
+1.1LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.5
+0.6LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.0
+731 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+471 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Derek Fisher leads every available measure below.
Derek FisherMetricKurt Thomas
1,038LeadsListed-team regular-season wins822
65.9%LeadsListed-team winning percentage54.4%
14Leads50-win team seasons8
4Leads60-win team seasons3
17LeadsPlayoff team seasons13
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
Derek Fisher leads every available measure below.
Derek FisherMetricKurt Thomas
16LeadsPlayoff appearances11
259LeadsPlayoff games96
165LeadsTeam playoff wins61
8LeadsFinals appearances1
5LeadsChampionships0
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.
Derek FisherMetricKurt Thomas
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.
Derek FisherKurt ThomasPeak 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.
Derek FisherNBA seasonKurt Thomas
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
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.