JaVale McGee
2008–09 to 2023–24 · 16 seasons
NBA player comparison
JaVale McGee vs. Kurt Rambis: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
JaVale McGee ranks higher in career impact
Kurt Rambis
1981–82 to 1994–95 · 14 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.
#782LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#784
+1.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5
+1.5LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.6
63.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better68.7
+616 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+662 ptsLeads
116.1Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better103.2Leads
Career Impact Rank places JaVale McGee #782 and Kurt Rambis #784. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Kurt Rambis 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 calculatedJaVale McGee78.167 · No. 782Kurt Rambis78.313 · No. 784
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.
JaVale McGee
78.167 composite · No. 782 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 572016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 63.333 | 50% | 31.667 |
| Best 5No. 572016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 902019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 77.600 | 30% | 23.280 |
| Best 10No. 572016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 612017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 722018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 902019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1082011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1152012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1172010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1572009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1772021–22No. 2072008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 116.100 | 20% | 23.220 |
31.667 + 23.280 + 23.220= 78.167
Kurt Rambis
78.313 composite · No. 784 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 471988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 791981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 68.667 | 50% | 34.333 |
| Best 5No. 471988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 791981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 971989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 77.800 | 30% | 23.340 |
| Best 10No. 471988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 791981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 861982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 971989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1141985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1161984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1271993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1431986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1431992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 103.200 | 20% | 20.640 |
34.333 + 23.340 + 20.640= 78.313
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 | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #782Better result for this metric. | #784 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 63.3Better result for this metric. | 68.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 77.6Better result for this metric. | 77.8 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 116.1 | 103.2Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #681 | #653Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.9Better result for this metric. | +1.5 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.8Better result for this metric. | +0.8 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.5Better result for this metric. | +0.6 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.6Better result for this metric. | +0.1 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +616 pts | +662 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 | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 909 | 880 |
| Minutes | 14,676 | 16,299 |
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 | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 59.3%Better result for this metric. | 57.3% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 60.0%Better result for this metric. | 57.6% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 57.8%Better result for this metric. | 53.4% |
| Three-point percentage | 19.2%Better result for this metric. | 0.0% |
| Free-throw percentage | 60.4% | 68.9%Better result for this metric. |
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 | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 4.1% | 6.9%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 0.4 | 1.1Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 12.5%Better result for this metric. | 20.3% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.1%Better result for this metric. | 16.9% |
| Rebounds per game | 5.0 | 5.6Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.2% | 2.3%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 7.0%Better result for this metric. | 1.7% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | JaVale McGee | Kurt Rambis |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 7.6Better result for this metric. | 5.2 |
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
JaVale McGee ranks higher in career impact.
JaVale McGeeMetricKurt Rambis
#782LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#784
+1.9LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.5
+1.5LeadsBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.6
+616 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+662 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Kurt Rambis leads every available measure below.
JaVale McGeeMetricKurt Rambis
740Listed-team regular-season wins789Leads
49.5%Listed-team winning percentage60.1%Leads
550-win team seasons11Leads
260-win team seasons5Leads
8Playoff team seasons12Leads
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
Kurt Rambis leads every available measure below.
JaVale McGeeMetricKurt Rambis
8Playoff appearances9Leads
74Playoff games139Leads
65Team playoff wins97Leads
3Finals appearances6Leads
3Championships4Leads
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.
JaVale McGeeMetricKurt Rambis
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.
JaVale McGeeKurt RambisPeak 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.
JaVale McGeeNBA seasonKurt Rambis
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
Season 15
No season
Season 16
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.