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NBA player comparison

Greg Buckner vs. Matt Harpring: Career comparison

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Greg Buckner ranks higher in career impact

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.

#1318LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1323
+1.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.6
-0.0LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.1
97.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better109.7
+214 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+402 ptsLeads
203.4Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better178.9Leads

Career Impact Rank places Greg Buckner #1318 and Matt Harpring #1323. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Matt Harpring 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 · regular seasonhusseyquation.com/compare/greg-buckner/matt-harpring/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedGreg Buckner129.413 · No. 1,318Matt Harpring130.213 · No. 1,323

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.

Greg Buckner

129.413 composite · No. 1,318 all-time

Greg Buckner's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 512004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1662002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate97.66750%48.833
Best 5No. 512004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1662002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1802001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1921999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate133.00030%39.900
Best 10No. 512004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 762005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1662002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1802001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1921999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2032000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2722006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2902007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2952003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3092008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate203.40020%40.680

48.833 + 39.900 + 40.680= 129.413

Matt Harpring

130.213 composite · No. 1,323 all-time

Matt Harpring's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 622002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1102005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate109.66750%54.833
Best 5No. 622002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1102005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1632004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1681998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate132.00030%39.600
Best 10No. 622002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1102005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1632004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1681998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1722001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2022000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2182006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2632007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2742008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate178.90020%35.780

54.833 + 39.600 + 35.780= 130.213

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: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1318Better result for this metric.#1323
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better97.7Better result for this metric.109.7
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better133.0132.0Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better203.4178.9Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#1159#885Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.9Better result for this metric.+1.6
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.7Better result for this metric.+0.4
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.0Better result for this metric.-0.1
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.5-1.0Better result for this metric.
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+214 pts+402 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: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Games570665
Minutes10,89517,584

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: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
True shooting percentage52.8%54.5%Better result for this metric.
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile51.8%53.9%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Field-goal percentage45.0%48.1%Better result for this metric.
Three-point percentage33.4%Better result for this metric.33.3%
Free-throw percentage75.7%Better result for this metric.75.3%

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.

Passing: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile9.9%Better result for this metric.8.9%
Assists per game1.31.4Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile13.3%12.6%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

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

Rebounding: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile8.7%11.4%Better result for this metric.
Rebounds per game2.85.1Better result for this metric.

Defense

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

Defense: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile2.1%Better result for this metric.1.6%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile0.8%Better result for this metric.0.5%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Greg Buckner and Matt Harpring
MetricGreg BucknerMatt Harpring
Points per game5.011.5Better 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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Greg Buckner ranks higher in career impact.

Greg BucknerMetricMatt Harpring
#1318LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1323
+1.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.6
-0.0LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.1
+214 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+402 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.

Greg BucknerMetricMatt Harpring
437Listed-team regular-season wins456Leads
53.3%LeadsListed-team winning percentage52.4%
3Leads50-win team seasons2
1Leads60-win team seasons0
6Playoff team seasons6

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

Matt Harpring leads every available measure below.

Greg BucknerMetricMatt Harpring
6Playoff appearances6
38Playoff games48Leads
18Team playoff wins20Leads
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.

Greg BucknerMetricMatt Harpring
Not availableAll-StarNot available
Not availableMVPNot available
Not availableAll-NBANot available
Not availableAll-DefenseNot available
Not availableDPOYNot available
Not availableRookie 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.

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
Greg BucknerMatt HarpringPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

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

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11

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.