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NBA player comparison

Derek Smith vs. Pat Durham: Career comparison

hussEyquationShort-career comparison
Regular-season verdict

Derek Smith 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.

#1422LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2506
+1.2LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.0
-1.4Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.0Leads
#47LeadsBest league finish#170
+189 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1 pts
408LeadsGames64

Career Impact Rank places Derek Smith #1422 and Pat Durham #2506. 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.

Short-career comparisonhusseyquation.com/compare/derek-smith/pat-durham/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDerek Smith142.667 · No. 1,422Pat Durham276.220 · No. 2,506

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 Smith

142.667 composite · No. 1,422 all-time

Derek Smith's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 471984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1411987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1611983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate116.33350%58.167
Best 5No. 471984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1411987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1611983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1921986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2071988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate149.60030%44.880
Best 10No. 471984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1411987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1611983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1921986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2071988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2071989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4 open slots × No. 256.5198.10020%39.620

58.167 + 44.880 + 39.620= 142.667

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 256.5, this player's stored replacement finish.

Pat Durham

276.220 composite · No. 2,506 all-time

Pat Durham's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 1701994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 311264.00050%132.000
Best 5No. 1701994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4 open slots × No. 311282.80030%84.840
Best 10No. 1701994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate9 open slots × No. 311296.90020%59.380

132.000 + 84.840 + 59.380= 276.220

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 311, 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 →

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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: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1422Better result for this metric.#2506
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better116.3Better result for this metric.264.0
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better149.6Better result for this metric.282.8
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better198.1Better result for this metric.296.9
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#1205Better result for this metric.#2003
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.2Better result for this metric.-1.0
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.4Unavailable
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.2Unavailable
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailableUnavailable
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+189 ptsBetter result for this metric.+1 pts
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: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Games40864
Minutes9,825930

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: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
True shooting percentage55.3%Better result for this metric.52.2%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile54.5%Better result for this metric.54.1%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Field-goal percentage49.9%Better result for this metric.46.9%
Three-point percentage29.4%Better result for this metric.19.2%
Free-throw percentage75.3%Better result for this metric.66.7%

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: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile13.1%Better result for this metric.10.9%
Assists per game2.1Better result for this metric.0.9
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile12.6%Better result for this metric.13.9%

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile7.0%Better result for this metric.6.8%
Rebounds per game3.2Better result for this metric.1.7

Defense

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

Defense: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.3%2.2%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.0%2.8%Better result for this metric.

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Derek Smith and Pat Durham
MetricDerek SmithPat Durham
Points per game12.8Better result for this metric.5.0

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

Derek Smith ranks higher in career impact.

Derek SmithMetricPat Durham
#1422LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2506
+1.2LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.0
-1.2Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+189 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1 pts

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

Context

Team Success

Derek Smith leads every available measure below.

Derek SmithMetricPat Durham
358LeadsListed-team regular-season wins55
43.7%LeadsListed-team winning percentage33.5%
2Leads50-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
3LeadsPlayoff team seasons0

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

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Derek SmithMetricPat Durham
3Playoff appearancesNot available
14Playoff gamesNot available
9Team playoff winsNot available
0Finals appearancesNot available
0ChampionshipsNot available

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.

Derek SmithMetricPat Durham
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.

View
Align careers by
Derek SmithPat DurhamPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

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

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9

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.