Don Nelson
1962–63 to 1975–76 · 14 seasons
NBA player comparison
Don Nelson vs. Matt Barnes: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Don Nelson ranks higher in career impact
Matt Barnes
2003–04 to 2016–17 · 14 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.
#277LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#997
+1.7LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5
30.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better75.3
+968 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+636 pts
48.2LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better146.1
+0.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9
Career Impact Rank places Don Nelson #277 and Matt Barnes #997. 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 calculatedDon Nelson35.533 · No. 277Matt Barnes94.667 · No. 997
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.
Don Nelson
35.533 composite · No. 277 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 231974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 30.667 | 50% | 15.333 |
| Best 5No. 231974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 381969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 35.200 | 30% | 10.560 |
| Best 10No. 231974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 351968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 381969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 461971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 501972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 571965–66Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 631970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 661973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 701962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 48.200 | 20% | 9.640 |
15.333 + 10.560 + 9.640= 35.533
Matt Barnes
94.667 composite · No. 997 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 732006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 75.333 | 50% | 37.667 |
| Best 5No. 732006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1432009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 92.600 | 30% | 27.780 |
| Best 10No. 732006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 772011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1432009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1892015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1972013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2212008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2342014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 146.100 | 20% | 29.220 |
37.667 + 27.780 + 29.220= 94.667
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 | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #277Better result for this metric. | #997 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 30.7Better result for this metric. | 75.3 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 35.2Better result for this metric. | 92.6 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 48.2Better result for this metric. | 146.1 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #471Better result for this metric. | #671 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.7Better result for this metric. | +1.5 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.0 | +1.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.9 | +0.9 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.3Better result for this metric. | -0.0 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +968 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +636 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 | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,053 | 929 |
| Minutes | 21,685 | 21,967 |
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 | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 54.4%Better result for this metric. | 54.2% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 54.7% | 54.9%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 48.0%Better result for this metric. | 43.6% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 33.5% |
| Free-throw percentage | 76.5%Better result for this metric. | 74.5% |
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 | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 10.0% | 11.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.4 | 1.8Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 13.8% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 10.2% | 11.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 4.9Better result for this metric. | 4.6 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.6% | 1.6%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.4% | 1.8%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Don Nelson | Matt Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 10.3Better result for this metric. | 8.2 |
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
Don Nelson ranks higher in career impact.
Don NelsonMetricMatt Barnes
#277LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#997
+1.7LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5
+0.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9
+968 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+636 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.
Don NelsonMetricMatt Barnes
1,046LeadsListed-team regular-season wins742
0.4%Listed-team winning percentage57.3%Leads
12Leads50-win team seasons7
12Leads60-win team seasons1
11LeadsPlayoff team seasons10
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
Don Nelson leads every available measure below.
Don NelsonMetricMatt Barnes
11LeadsPlayoff appearances9
150LeadsPlayoff games95
88LeadsTeam playoff wins55
6LeadsFinals appearances1
5LeadsChampionships1
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.
Don NelsonMetricMatt Barnes
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.
Don NelsonMatt BarnesPeak 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.
Don NelsonNBA seasonMatt Barnes
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
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.