John Starks
1988–89
36 games · 316 minutes
NBA player comparison
John Starks vs. Michael Cooper: 1988–89 season
Regular-season verdict
There is not enough comparable regular-season data to name a leader
Michael Cooper
1988–89
80 games · 1,943 minutes
Impact comparison
Impact estimate is measured in points per 100 possessions above league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Impact Rate rank is a league place, not a 0–100 score: No. 1 is best.
—Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2
—Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#89
36Games80
316Minutes1,943
4.1PPG7.3Leads
49.4%TS%54.9%Leads
Season impact is unavailable for at least one player in this scope. hussEyquation does not substitute a different measure or declare a winner.
John Starks: 36 games and 316 minutes. Michael Cooper: 80 games and 1,943 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.
Read turnover rate alongside offensive workload. Offensive usage measures the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on the court—not every touch, pass, or act of playmaking. These rows provide context; they are not extra points added to the ranking.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Behind the estimate
Why the model rates them this way
A verified breakdown of this season’s published estimate is unavailable. We do not substitute another season’s calculation.
What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. A verified teammate-shooting comparison is unavailable for this selected season. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.
Full comparison · 1988–89 season
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?
The impact estimate compares performance while playing, not total contribution over the season. The individual-stat estimate plus the lineup adjustment gives the final estimate.
| Metric | John Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | +0.2 |
| Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best | Unavailable | #89 |
John Starks: verified lineup window unavailable. Michael Cooper: verified lineup window unavailable. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.
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 Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 36 | 80 |
| Minutes | 316 | 1,943 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. 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 Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 49.4% | 54.9%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | John Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 40.8% | 43.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 38.5%Better result for this metric. | 38.1% |
| Free-throw percentage | 65.4% | 87.1%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 | John Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 0.8 | 3.9Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | John Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 1.1 | 2.4Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | John Starks | Michael Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 4.1 | 7.3Better 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.
Regular Season Impact
There is not enough comparable regular-season data to name a leader.
John StarksMetricMichael Cooper
Not availableImpact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2
Not availableImpact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#89
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Michael Cooper leads every available measure below.
John StarksMetricMichael Cooper
606Listed-team regular-season wins701Leads
54.3%Listed-team winning percentage71.2%Leads
650-win team seasons11Leads
160-win team seasons6Leads
11Playoff 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
Michael Cooper leads every available measure below.
John StarksMetricMichael Cooper
9Playoff appearances11Leads
96Playoff games168Leads
51Team playoff wins115Leads
1Finals appearances8Leads
0Championships5Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
John StarksMetricMichael Cooper
1LeadsAll-Star0
0MVP0
0All-NBA0
1All-Defense8Leads
0DPOY1Leads
0Rookie of the Year0
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.
Selected seasons
Box impact
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
John StarksMichael Cooper
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.