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NBA player comparison

Eric Gordon vs. Rudy Gay: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · results to date
Regular-season verdict

Rudy Gay ranks higher in career impact so far

Eric Gordon

2008–09 to 2025–26 · 18 seasons · active

Illustrated portrait of NBA player Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay

2006–07 to 2022–23 · 17 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.

#1240Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#692Leads
+2.0Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.2Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5Leads
94.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better64.3Leads
+598 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,423 ptsLeads
174.5Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better90.4Leads

Career Impact Rank places Rudy Gay #692 and Eric Gordon #1240. 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 · results to datehusseyquation.com/compare/eric-gordon/rudy-gay/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedEric Gordon120.887 · No. 1,240Rudy Gay71.487 · No. 692

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.

Eric Gordon

120.887 composite · No. 1,240 all-time

Eric Gordon's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 522010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1372009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate94.33350%47.167
Best 5No. 522010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1372009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1702020–21No. 1942015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate129.40030%38.820
Best 10No. 522010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 942008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1372009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1702020–21No. 1942015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1982013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2132016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2212017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2322024–25No. 2342022–23174.50020%34.900

47.167 + 38.820 + 34.900= 120.887

Rudy Gay

71.487 composite · No. 692 all-time

Rudy Gay's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 452010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 732011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 752014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate64.33350%32.167
Best 5No. 452010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 732011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 752014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 782017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 832016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate70.80030%21.240
Best 10No. 452010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 732011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 752014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 782017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 832016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 932013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 972007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1022018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1232012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1352020–2190.40020%18.080

32.167 + 21.240 + 18.080= 71.487

Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →

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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.

Impact: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#1240#692Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better94.364.3Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better129.470.8Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better174.590.4Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#696#310Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.0+2.2Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9+1.7Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.3+1.5Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.4+1.1Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+598 pts+1,423 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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.

Playing time and workload: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Games9311,120
Minutes28,95834,561

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.

Shooting: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
True shooting percentage56.5%Better result for this metric.53.5%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile57.3%Better result for this metric.54.2%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Field-goal percentage43.0%45.2%Better result for this metric.
Three-point percentage37.3%Better result for this metric.34.6%
Free-throw percentage80.9%Better result for this metric.79.9%

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.

Passing: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile14.1%Better result for this metric.12.8%
Assists per game2.7Better result for this metric.2.0
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile11.8%Better result for this metric.12.0%

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile4.2%10.8%Better result for this metric.
Rebounds per game2.35.6Better result for this metric.

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.4%1.9%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.0%2.0%Better result for this metric.

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay
MetricEric GordonRudy Gay
Points per game15.215.8Better 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.

Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Rudy Gay ranks higher in career impact so far.

Eric GordonMetricRudy Gay
#1240Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#692Leads
+2.0Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.2Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5Leads
+598 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,423 ptsLeads

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Eric GordonMetricRudy Gay
675Listed-team regular-season wins701Leads
44.3%Listed-team winning percentage46.1%Leads
3Leads50-win team seasons1
1Leads60-win team seasons0
8LeadsPlayoff team seasons7

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

Eric Gordon leads every available measure below.

Eric GordonMetricRudy Gay
7LeadsPlayoff appearances3
64LeadsPlayoff games19
29LeadsTeam playoff wins7
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.

Context

Awards

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Eric GordonMetricRudy Gay
0All-StarNot available
0MVPNot available
0All-NBANot available
0All-DefenseNot available
0DPOYNot available
0Rookie 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. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.

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.

View
Align careers by
Eric GordonRudy GayPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S13
S14
S15
S16
S17
S18

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.