Dikembe Mutombo
1991–92 to 2008–09 · 18 seasons
NBA player comparison
Dikembe Mutombo vs. Sam Cassell: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Dikembe Mutombo ranks higher in career impact
Sam Cassell
1993–94 to 2007–08 · 15 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.
#240LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#255
+3.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.2Leads
+2.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
26.7Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better26.3Leads
+2,714 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,128 pts
0Top-10 impact seasons1Leads
Career Impact Rank places Dikembe Mutombo #240 and Sam Cassell #255. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Sam Cassell had the higher single-season impact estimate.
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 calculatedDikembe Mutombo31.313 · No. 240Sam Cassell33.027 · No. 255
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.
Dikembe Mutombo
31.313 composite · No. 240 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 231999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 321998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 26.667 | 50% | 13.333 |
| Best 5No. 231999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 321998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 371995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 411992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 31.600 | 30% | 9.480 |
| Best 10No. 231999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 321998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 371995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 411992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 532000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 561994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 632007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 42.500 | 20% | 8.500 |
13.333 + 9.480 + 8.500= 31.313
Sam Cassell
33.027 composite · No. 255 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 102003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 342002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 26.333 | 50% | 13.167 |
| Best 5No. 102003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 342002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 431996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 31.400 | 30% | 9.420 |
| Best 10No. 102003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 342002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 431996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 561999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 652005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1001994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 52.200 | 20% | 10.440 |
13.167 + 9.420 + 10.440= 33.027
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 | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #240Better result for this metric. | #255 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 26.7 | 26.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 31.6 | 31.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 42.5Better result for this metric. | 52.2 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #110Better result for this metric. | #164 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.2 | +4.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.1 | +3.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.9 | +3.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.4Better result for this metric. | +2.1 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +2,714 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +2,128 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 0 | 1Better result for this metric. |
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 | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,196 | 993 |
| Minutes | 36,791 | 29,812 |
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 | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.3%Better result for this metric. | 54.4% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 58.3%Better result for this metric. | 54.6% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 51.8%Better result for this metric. | 45.4% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 33.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 68.4% | 86.1%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 | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.3% | 35.2%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.0 | 6.0Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.4% | 14.4%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 19.4%Better result for this metric. | 6.2% |
| Rebounds per game | 10.3Better result for this metric. | 3.2 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.7% | 1.9%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 6.6%Better result for this metric. | 0.5% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Dikembe Mutombo | Sam Cassell |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 9.8 | 15.7Better result for this metric. |
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
Dikembe Mutombo ranks higher in career impact.
Dikembe MutomboMetricSam Cassell
#240LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#255
+3.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.2Leads
+2.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.0Leads
+2,714 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,128 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.
Dikembe MutomboMetricSam Cassell
800LeadsListed-team regular-season wins785
52.4%Listed-team winning percentage52.5%Leads
7Leads50-win team seasons4
060-win team seasons1Leads
13LeadsPlayoff team seasons12
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
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Dikembe MutomboMetricSam Cassell
13LeadsPlayoff appearances11
101Playoff games136Leads
57Team playoff wins80Leads
2Finals appearances3Leads
0Championships3Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Dikembe Mutombo leads every available measure below.
Dikembe MutomboMetricSam Cassell
8LeadsAll-Star1
0MVP0
3LeadsAll-NBA1
6LeadsAll-Defense0
4LeadsDPOY0
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.
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.
Dikembe MutomboSam CassellPeak 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.
Dikembe MutomboNBA seasonSam Cassell
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
No season
Season 17
No season
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.