Gene Shue
1954–55 to 1963–64 · 10 seasons
NBA player comparison
Gene Shue vs. Tom Heinsohn: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Tom Heinsohn ranks higher in career impact
Tom Heinsohn
1956–57 to 1964–65 · 9 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.
#185Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#133Leads
+1.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.9Leads
+0.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3Leads
19.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better15.3Leads
+1,003 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,565 ptsLeads
39.3Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better25.4Leads
Career Impact Rank places Tom Heinsohn #133 and Gene Shue #185. 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 calculatedGene Shue24.727 · No. 185Tom Heinsohn17.547 · No. 133
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.
Gene Shue
24.727 composite · No. 185 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 141956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 19.333 | 50% | 9.667 |
| Best 5No. 141956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 321960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 24.000 | 30% | 7.200 |
| Best 10No. 141956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 321960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 401954–55Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 721962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 911963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 39.300 | 20% | 7.860 |
9.667 + 7.200 + 7.860= 24.727
Tom Heinsohn
17.547 composite · No. 133 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 141961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 15.333 | 50% | 7.667 |
| Best 5No. 141961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 16.000 | 30% | 4.800 |
| Best 10No. 141961–62Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 161960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 171963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 191956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 191962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 331964–65Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 82 | 25.400 | 20% | 5.080 |
7.667 + 4.800 + 5.080= 17.547
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 82, 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 | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #185 | #133Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 19.3 | 15.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 24.0 | 16.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 39.3 | 25.4Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #456 | #261Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.5 | +1.9Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.9 | +1.5Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.5 | +1.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.6 | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,003 pts | +1,565 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| 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 | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 699 | 654 |
| Minutes | 23,338 | 19,254 |
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 | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 46.5%Better result for this metric. | 46.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 44.6% | 46.2%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 39.6% | 40.5%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 80.6%Better result for this metric. | 79.0% |
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 | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 12.9% |
| Assists per game | 3.7Better result for this metric. | 2.0 |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 4.1 | 8.8Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Gene Shue | Tom Heinsohn |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 14.4 | 18.6Better 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
Tom Heinsohn ranks higher in career impact.
Gene ShueMetricTom Heinsohn
#185Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#133Leads
+1.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.9Leads
+0.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3Leads
+1,003 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,565 ptsLeads
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.
Gene ShueMetricTom Heinsohn
354Listed-team regular-season wins518Leads
42.9%LeadsListed-team winning percentage2.6%
050-win team seasons7Leads
060-win team seasons2Leads
8Playoff team seasons9Leads
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
Tom Heinsohn leads every available measure below.
Gene ShueMetricTom Heinsohn
7Playoff appearances9Leads
32Playoff games104Leads
12Team playoff wins69Leads
0Finals appearances9Leads
0Championships8Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Tom Heinsohn leads every available measure below.
Gene ShueMetricTom Heinsohn
5All-Star6Leads
0MVP0
2All-NBA4Leads
0All-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.
Gene ShueTom HeinsohnPeak 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.
Gene ShueNBA seasonTom Heinsohn
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
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.