Elvin Hayes
1968–69 to 1983–84 · 16 seasons
NBA player comparison
Elvin Hayes vs. Wes Unseld: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Wes Unseld ranks higher in career impact
Wes Unseld
1968–69 to 1980–81 · 13 seasons
Impact comparison
#97Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#50Leads
+3.4Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.1Leads
+2.9Best 5 average impact+3.8Leads
11.0Best 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better6.0Leads
+4,002 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+3,998 pts
1Top-10 impact seasons6Leads
Career Impact Rank places Wes Unseld #50 and Elvin Hayes #97. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Elvin Hayes had 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 calculatedElvin Hayes13.860 · No. 97Wes Unseld7.560 · No. 50
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.
Elvin Hayes
13.860 composite · No. 97 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 101971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 111974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 11.000 | 50% | 5.500 |
| Best 5No. 101971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 111974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.800 | 30% | 3.840 |
| Best 10No. 101971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 111974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 421972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 22.600 | 20% | 4.520 |
5.500 + 3.840 + 4.520= 13.860
Wes Unseld
7.560 composite · No. 50 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 51975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 6.000 | 50% | 3.000 |
| Best 5No. 51975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 81970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 91978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 7.000 | 30% | 2.100 |
| Best 10No. 51975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 71974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 81970–71Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 91978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101969–70Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 191968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 261977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.300 | 20% | 2.460 |
3.000 + 2.100 + 2.460= 7.560
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 | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #97 | #50Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finish | 11.0 | 6.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finish | 12.8 | 7.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finish | 22.6 | 12.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #46Better result for this metric. | #47 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +3.4 | +4.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average impact | +3.1 | +4.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average impact | +2.9 | +3.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average impact | +2.2 | +3.2Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +4,002 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +3,998 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 1Better result for this metric. |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 1 | 6Better 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 | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,303 | 984 |
| Minutes | 50,000 | 35,832 |
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 | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 49.1% | 53.7%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 49.3% | 54.7%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 45.2% | 50.9%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 14.7% | 50.0%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 67.0%Better result for this metric. | 63.3% |
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 | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 7.1% | 13.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.8 | 3.9Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 12.1%Better result for this metric. | 19.0% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.2% | 18.5%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 12.5 | 14.0Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.4% | 1.4% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.2%Better result for this metric. | 1.0% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Elvin Hayes | Wes Unseld |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 21.0Better result for this metric. | 10.8 |
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
Wes Unseld ranks higher in career impact.
Elvin HayesMetricWes Unseld
#97Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#50Leads
+3.4Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.1Leads
+2.9Best 5 average impact+3.8Leads
+4,002 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+3,998 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.
Elvin HayesMetricWes Unseld
969LeadsListed-team regular-season wins880
0.6%Listed-team winning percentage0.6%
950-win team seasons9
860-win team seasons8
10Playoff team seasons12Leads
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
Wes Unseld leads every available measure below.
Elvin HayesMetricWes Unseld
10Playoff appearances12Leads
96Playoff games119Leads
45Team playoff wins55Leads
3Finals appearances4Leads
1Championships1
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Elvin HayesMetricWes Unseld
12LeadsAll-Star5
0MVP1Leads
6LeadsAll-NBA1
2LeadsAll-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year1Leads
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.
Elvin HayesWes UnseldPeak 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.
Elvin HayesNBA seasonWes Unseld
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
No season
Season 15
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.