Elgin Baylor
1958–59 to 1971–72 · 14 seasons
NBA player comparison
Elgin Baylor vs. Maurice Stokes: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Elgin Baylor ranks higher in career impact
Maurice Stokes
1955–56 to 1957–58 · 3 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.
#12LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#168
+6.4LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.6
+3.8Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.9Leads
#1Best league finish#1
+4,809 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,047 pts
846LeadsGames202
Career Impact Rank places Elgin Baylor #12 and Maurice Stokes #168. 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 calculatedElgin Baylor2.027 · No. 12Maurice Stokes21.760 · No. 168
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.
Elgin Baylor
2.027 composite · No. 12 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.333 | 50% | 0.667 |
| Best 5No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.800 | 30% | 0.540 |
| Best 10No. 11959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 81966–67Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 4.100 | 20% | 0.820 |
0.667 + 0.540 + 0.820= 2.027
Maurice Stokes
21.760 composite · No. 168 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.000 | 50% | 1.000 |
| Best 5No. 11955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 78 | 32.400 | 30% | 9.720 |
| Best 10No. 11955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 11957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate7 open slots × No. 78 | 55.200 | 20% | 11.040 |
1.000 + 9.720 + 11.040= 21.760
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 78, 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 | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #12Better result for this metric. | #168 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 1.3Better result for this metric. | 2.0 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 1.8Better result for this metric. | 32.4 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 4.1Better result for this metric. | 55.2 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #30Better result for this metric. | #438 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +6.4Better result for this metric. | +4.6 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +6.0Better result for this metric. | +3.9 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +5.5 | Unavailable |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +4.3 | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +4,809 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +1,047 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 6Better result for this metric. | 3 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 10Better result for this metric. | 3 |
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 | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 846 | 202 |
| Minutes | 33,863 | 7,544 |
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 | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 49.4%Better result for this metric. | 40.6% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 50.2% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 43.1%Better result for this metric. | 35.1% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.0%Better result for this metric. | 69.8% |
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 | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.7% | Unavailable |
| Assists per game | 4.3 | 5.3Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 13.5 | 17.3Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Elgin Baylor | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 27.4Better result for this metric. | 16.4 |
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
Elgin Baylor ranks higher in career impact.
Elgin BaylorMetricMaurice Stokes
#12LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#168
+6.4LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.6
+5.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+4,809 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,047 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.
Elgin BaylorMetricMaurice Stokes
894LeadsListed-team regular-season wins95
0.6%Listed-team winning percentage44.0%Leads
10Leads50-win team seasons0
8Leads60-win team seasons0
14LeadsPlayoff team seasons1
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
Elgin Baylor leads every available measure below.
Elgin BaylorMetricMaurice Stokes
12LeadsPlayoff appearances1
134LeadsPlayoff games1
76LeadsTeam playoff wins0
8LeadsFinals 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
Elgin Baylor leads every available measure below.
Elgin BaylorMetricMaurice Stokes
11LeadsAll-Star3
0MVP0
10LeadsAll-NBA3
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
1Rookie of the Year1
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.
Elgin BaylorMaurice StokesPeak 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.
Elgin BaylorNBA seasonMaurice Stokes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
No season
Season 5
No season
Season 6
No season
Season 7
No season
Season 8
No season
Season 9
No season
Season 10
No season
Season 11
No season
Season 12
No season
Season 13
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.