George Mikan
1950–51 to 1955–56 · 5 seasons
NBA player comparison
George Mikan vs. Maurice Stokes: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
George Mikan 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.
#122LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#168
+3.9Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.6Leads
+2.5Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+3.9Leads
#2Best league finish#1Leads
+1,218 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,047 pts
311LeadsGames202
Career Impact Rank places George Mikan #122 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. Maurice Stokes had the higher single-season impact estimate.
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 calculatedGeorge Mikan16.620 · No. 122Maurice 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.
George Mikan
16.620 composite · No. 122 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 21951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 41952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.000 | 50% | 1.500 |
| Best 5No. 21951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 41952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 541955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 13.800 | 30% | 4.140 |
| Best 10No. 21951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 41952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 61953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 541955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate5 open slots × No. 96 | 54.900 | 20% | 10.980 |
1.500 + 4.140 + 10.980= 16.620
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 96, this player's stored replacement finish.
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 | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #122Better result for this metric. | #168 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 3.0 | 2.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 13.8Better result for this metric. | 32.4 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 54.9Better result for this metric. | 55.2 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #368Better result for this metric. | #438 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.9 | +4.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.7 | +3.9Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.5 | Unavailable |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,218 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +1,047 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 2Better result for this metric. |
| Top-five impact seasons | 3 | 3 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 4Better 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 | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 311 | 202 |
| Minutes | 11,763 | 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 | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 47.9%Better result for this metric. | 40.6% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 40.0%Better result for this metric. | 35.1% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.5%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 | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 2.7 | 5.3Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 13.4 | 17.3Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | George Mikan | Maurice Stokes |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 21.2Better 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
George Mikan ranks higher in career impact.
George MikanMetricMaurice Stokes
#122LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#168
+3.9Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+4.6Leads
+2.5Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+1,218 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
George Mikan leads every available measure below.
George MikanMetricMaurice Stokes
211LeadsListed-team regular-season wins95
60.6%LeadsListed-team winning percentage44.0%
050-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
5LeadsPlayoff 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
George Mikan leads every available measure below.
George MikanMetricMaurice Stokes
5LeadsPlayoff appearances1
48LeadsPlayoff games1
29LeadsTeam playoff wins0
3LeadsFinals appearances0
3LeadsChampionships0
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.
George MikanMetricMaurice Stokes
4LeadsAll-Star3
0MVP0
4LeadsAll-NBA3
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.
George MikanMaurice 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.
George MikanNBA seasonMaurice Stokes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
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.