James Donaldson
1980–81 to 1994–95 · 14 seasons
NBA player comparison
James Donaldson vs. Michael Cage: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
James Donaldson ranks higher in career impact
Michael Cage
1984–85 to 1999–00 · 15 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.
#636LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#697
+1.5LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3
55.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better59.7
+899 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+1,192 ptsLeads
97.4LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better101.6
+0.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9
Career Impact Rank places James Donaldson #636 and Michael Cage #697. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Michael Cage 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 calculatedJames Donaldson66.900 · No. 636Michael Cage71.933 · No. 697
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.
James Donaldson
66.900 composite · No. 636 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 401981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 651980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 55.000 | 50% | 27.500 |
| Best 5No. 401981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 651980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 751982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 921988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 66.400 | 30% | 19.920 |
| Best 10No. 401981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 601986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 651980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 751982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 921988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 931983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1091987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1131985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1411984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1861989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 97.400 | 20% | 19.480 |
27.500 + 19.920 + 19.480= 66.900
Michael Cage
71.933 composite · No. 697 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 59.667 | 50% | 29.833 |
| Best 5No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 901991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 941994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 72.600 | 30% | 21.780 |
| Best 10No. 471986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 491987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 901991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 941994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1311992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1381993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1391997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 101.600 | 20% | 20.320 |
29.833 + 21.780 + 20.320= 71.933
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 | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #636Better result for this metric. | #697 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 55.0Better result for this metric. | 59.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 66.4Better result for this metric. | 72.6 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 97.4Better result for this metric. | 101.6 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #505 | #380Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.5Better result for this metric. | +1.3 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.1 | +1.1 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.9 | +0.9 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.1 | +0.3Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +899 pts | +1,192 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 | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 957 | 1,140 |
| Minutes | 26,222 | 29,716 |
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 | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 61.8%Better result for this metric. | 54.9% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 62.4%Better result for this metric. | 54.3% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 57.1%Better result for this metric. | 51.5% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 0.0% |
| Free-throw percentage | 73.2%Better result for this metric. | 66.4% |
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 | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 4.2% | 4.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 0.8 | 0.9Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 18.1% | 12.9%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.2% | 16.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 7.8Better result for this metric. | 7.6 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.6% | 1.9%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.9%Better result for this metric. | 1.9% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | James Donaldson | Michael Cage |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 8.6Better result for this metric. | 7.3 |
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
James Donaldson ranks higher in career impact.
James DonaldsonMetricMichael Cage
#636LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#697
+1.5LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.3
+0.9Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.9
+899 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+1,192 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
James Donaldson leads every available measure below.
James DonaldsonMetricMichael Cage
672LeadsListed-team regular-season wins572
51.2%LeadsListed-team winning percentage46.5%
5Leads50-win team seasons2
160-win team seasons1
9LeadsPlayoff team seasons8
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
The advantages are split across the available measures.
James DonaldsonMetricMichael Cage
9LeadsPlayoff appearances7
51Playoff games53Leads
29LeadsTeam playoff wins22
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.
Awards
No recorded measure separates these careers.
James DonaldsonMetricMichael Cage
1All-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.
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.
James DonaldsonMichael CagePeak 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.
James DonaldsonNBA seasonMichael Cage
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
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.