John Lambert
1975–76 to 1981–82 · 7 seasons
NBA player comparison
John Lambert vs. Zeke Nnaji: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
John Lambert ranks higher in career impact so far
Zeke Nnaji
2020–21 to 2025–26 · 6 seasons · active
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.
#1831LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#2750
-1.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.1Leads
181.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better289.7
-108 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value-46 ptsLeads
219.7LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better353.1
-2.7Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.7
Career Impact Rank places John Lambert #1831 and Zeke Nnaji #2750. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Zeke Nnaji had the higher single-season impact estimate and 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 calculatedJohn Lambert193.960 · No. 1,831Zeke Nnaji311.513 · No. 2,750
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.
John Lambert
193.960 composite · No. 1,831 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1511976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1951977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1971979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 181.000 | 50% | 90.500 |
| Best 5No. 1511976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1951977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1971979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2131978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2361981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 198.400 | 30% | 59.520 |
| Best 10No. 1511976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1951977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1971979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2131978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2361981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2391980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4 open slots × No. 241.5 | 219.700 | 20% | 43.940 |
90.500 + 59.520 + 43.940= 193.960
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 241.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
Zeke Nnaji
311.513 composite · No. 2,750 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 2502024–25No. 2862021–22No. 3332023–24 | 289.667 | 50% | 144.833 |
| Best 5No. 2502024–25No. 2862021–22No. 3332023–24No. 3522022–23No. 3802025–26 | 320.200 | 30% | 96.060 |
| Best 10No. 2502024–25No. 2862021–22No. 3332023–24No. 3522022–23No. 3802025–265 open slots × No. 386 | 353.100 | 20% | 70.620 |
144.833 + 96.060 + 70.620= 311.513
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 386, 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 | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1831Better result for this metric. | #2750 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 181.0Better result for this metric. | 289.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 198.4Better result for this metric. | 320.2 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 219.7Better result for this metric. | 353.1 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #4550 | #4069Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -1.2 | -1.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -2.1 | -2.1 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -2.7 | -2.7 |
| 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 | -108 pts | -46 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 | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 446 | 303 |
| Minutes | 5,564 | 3,633 |
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 | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 45.8% | 58.9%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 45.6% | 58.2%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 42.8% | 50.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 8.3% | 34.5%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 69.3%Better result for this metric. | 67.1% |
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 | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 6.1%Better result for this metric. | 4.8% |
| Assists per game | 0.6Better result for this metric. | 0.4 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 14.2% | 11.4%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.7%Better result for this metric. | 11.0% |
| Rebounds per game | 3.3Better result for this metric. | 2.3 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3% | 1.4%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.5% | 3.9%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | John Lambert | Zeke Nnaji |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 3.8 | 4.1Better 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.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
John Lambert ranks higher in career impact so far.
John LambertMetricZeke Nnaji
#1831LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#2750
-1.2Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.1Leads
-2.7Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.7
-108 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-46 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
John LambertMetricZeke Nnaji
381LeadsListed-team regular-season wins309
1.9%Listed-team winning percentage64.1%Leads
150-win team seasons4Leads
1Leads60-win team seasons0
5Playoff team seasons6Leads
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.
John LambertMetricZeke Nnaji
5Playoff appearances6Leads
28LeadsPlayoff games23
18Team playoff wins37Leads
0Finals appearances1Leads
0Championships1Leads
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.
John LambertMetricZeke Nnaji
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. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
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.
John LambertZeke NnajiPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
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.
John LambertNBA seasonZeke Nnaji
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
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.