Dick Ricketts
1955–56 to 1957–58 · 3 seasons
NBA player comparison
Dick Ricketts vs. Jim Paxson: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Dick Ricketts ranks higher in career impact
Jim Paxson
1956–57 to 1957–58 · 2 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.
#601LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#614
-1.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.5Leads
-1.7Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.1Leads
#53Best league finish#25Leads
+41 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+88 ptsLeads
212LeadsGames138
Career Impact Rank places Dick Ricketts #601 and Jim Paxson #614. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Jim Paxson 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 calculatedDick Ricketts64.433 · No. 601Jim Paxson65.193 · No. 614
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.
Dick Ricketts
64.433 composite · No. 601 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 531955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 661957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 59.667 | 50% | 29.833 |
| Best 5No. 531955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 661957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 78 | 67.000 | 30% | 20.100 |
| Best 10No. 531955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 661957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate7 open slots × No. 78 | 72.500 | 20% | 14.500 |
29.833 + 20.100 + 14.500= 64.433
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 78, this player's stored replacement finish.
Jim Paxson
65.193 composite · No. 614 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 251957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 79.5 | 60.167 | 50% | 30.083 |
| Best 5No. 251957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 79.5 | 67.900 | 30% | 20.370 |
| Best 10No. 251957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8 open slots × No. 79.5 | 73.700 | 20% | 14.740 |
30.083 + 20.370 + 14.740= 65.193
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 79.5, 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 | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #601Better result for this metric. | #614 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 59.7Better result for this metric. | 60.2 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 67.0Better result for this metric. | 67.9 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 72.5Better result for this metric. | 73.7 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #1682 | #1463Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -1.3 | +0.5Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -1.7 | 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 | +41 pts | +88 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 | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 212 | 138 |
| Minutes | 5,677 | 3,069 |
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. Statistics that were not recorded in earlier eras are left out. 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 | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 38.1% | 40.8%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 32.8%Better result for this metric. | 32.3% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 69.2% | 72.7%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 | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 2.1Better result for this metric. | 1.6 |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 6.3Better result for this metric. | 4.5 |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Dick Ricketts | Jim Paxson |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 9.3Better result for this metric. | 8.0 |
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.
Regular Season Impact
Dick Ricketts ranks higher in career impact.
Dick RickettsMetricJim Paxson
#601LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#614
-1.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.5Leads
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+41 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+88 ptsLeads
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.
Dick RickettsMetricJim Paxson
128LeadsListed-team regular-season wins67
44.4%Listed-team winning percentage46.5%Leads
050-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
2Playoff team seasons2
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
Jim Paxson leads every available measure below.
Dick RickettsMetricJim Paxson
1Playoff appearances2Leads
2Playoff games7Leads
0Team playoff wins2Leads
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
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Dick RickettsMetricJim Paxson
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.
Dick RickettsJim PaxsonPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
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.
Dick RickettsNBA seasonJim Paxson
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.