Joe Graboski
1951–52 to 1961–62 · 11 seasons
NBA player comparison
Joe Graboski vs. LaPhonso Ellis: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Joe Graboski ranks higher in career impact
LaPhonso Ellis
1992–93 to 2002–03 · 11 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.
#256LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1186
+0.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.1Leads
+0.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2Leads
29.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better89.0
+580 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+471 pts
45.4LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better176.8
Career Impact Rank places Joe Graboski #256 and LaPhonso Ellis #1186. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. LaPhonso Ellis 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 calculatedJoe Graboski33.153 · No. 256LaPhonso Ellis114.600 · No. 1,186
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.
Joe Graboski
33.153 composite · No. 256 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 281958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 311953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 29.667 | 50% | 14.833 |
| Best 5No. 281958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 311953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 311959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 30.800 | 30% | 9.240 |
| Best 10No. 281958–59Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 301951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 311953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 311959–60Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 521957–58Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 551955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 571954–55Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 661956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 701960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 45.400 | 20% | 9.080 |
14.833 + 9.240 + 9.080= 33.153
LaPhonso Ellis
114.600 composite · No. 1,186 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 771992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1091993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 89.000 | 50% | 44.500 |
| Best 5No. 771992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1091993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1561997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1562000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 115.800 | 30% | 34.740 |
| Best 10No. 771992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 811996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1091993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1561997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1562000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2131999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2242002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2461998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2481995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2582001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 176.800 | 20% | 35.360 |
44.500 + 34.740 + 35.360= 114.600
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 | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #256Better result for this metric. | #1186 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 29.7Better result for this metric. | 89.0 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 30.8Better result for this metric. | 115.8 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 45.4Better result for this metric. | 176.8 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #709Better result for this metric. | #812 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.5 | +1.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.3 | +0.7Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.1 | +0.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.9Better result for this metric. | -1.1 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +580 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +471 pts |
| 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 | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 743 | 624 |
| Minutes | 22,665 | 17,616 |
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 | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 41.4% | 51.2%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 41.2% | 50.1%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 35.3% | 45.2%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 30.2% |
| Free-throw percentage | 70.8% | 73.0%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 | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 8.7% |
| Assists per game | 1.9Better result for this metric. | 1.6 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 12.1% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 12.6% |
| Rebounds per game | 8.1Better result for this metric. | 6.5 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 1.2% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 1.7% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Joe Graboski | LaPhonso Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 12.0Better result for this metric. | 11.9 |
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
Joe Graboski ranks higher in career impact.
Joe GraboskiMetricLaPhonso Ellis
#256LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1186
+0.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.1Leads
+0.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2Leads
+580 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+471 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Joe Graboski leads every available measure below.
Joe GraboskiMetricLaPhonso Ellis
458LeadsListed-team regular-season wins353
47.6%LeadsListed-team winning percentage40.6%
050-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
8LeadsPlayoff team seasons4
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
Joe Graboski leads every available measure below.
Joe GraboskiMetricLaPhonso Ellis
8LeadsPlayoff appearances2
38LeadsPlayoff games16
16LeadsTeam playoff wins7
1LeadsFinals appearances0
1LeadsChampionships0
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.
Joe GraboskiMetricLaPhonso Ellis
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.
Joe GraboskiLaPhonso EllisPeak 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.
Joe GraboskiNBA seasonLaPhonso Ellis
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
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.