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NBA player comparison

Keith Lee vs. Walter Berry: Career comparison

hussEyquationShort-career comparison
Regular-season verdict

Walter Berry ranks higher in career impact

Keith Lee

1985–86 to 1988–89 · 3 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.

#1939Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1544Leads
-1.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.4Leads
-2.4Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.6Leads
#164Best league finish#79Leads
-23 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+157 ptsLeads
182Games205Leads

Career Impact Rank places Walter Berry #1544 and Keith Lee #1939. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.

Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.

Short-career comparisonhusseyquation.com/compare/keith-lee/walter-berry/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedKeith Lee210.393 · No. 1,939Walter Berry157.607 · No. 1,544

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.

Keith Lee

210.393 composite · No. 1,939 all-time

Keith Lee's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 1641986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2011985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2161988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate193.66750%96.833
Best 5No. 1641986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2011985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2161988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 258219.40030%65.820
Best 10No. 1641986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2011985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2161988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate7 open slots × No. 258238.70020%47.740

96.833 + 65.820 + 47.740= 210.393

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 258, this player's stored replacement finish.

Walter Berry

157.607 composite · No. 1,544 all-time

Walter Berry's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 791987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1161986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1721988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate122.33350%61.167
Best 5No. 791987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1161986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1721988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 258176.60030%52.980
Best 10No. 791987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1161986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1721988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate7 open slots × No. 258217.30020%43.460

61.167 + 52.980 + 43.460= 157.607

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 258, 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 →

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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.

Impact: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1939#1544Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better193.7122.3Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better219.4176.6Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better238.7217.3Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#3477#1277Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.7+0.4Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.4-0.6Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailableUnavailable
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailableUnavailable
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-23 pts+157 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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.

Playing time and workload: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Games182205
Minutes2,9074,863

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.

Shooting: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
True shooting percentage49.3%56.3%Better result for this metric.
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile49.0%56.0%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Field-goal percentage45.1%53.9%Better result for this metric.
Three-point percentage16.7%20.0%Better result for this metric.
Free-throw percentage74.6%Better result for this metric.63.8%

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.

Passing: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile9.0%9.2%Better result for this metric.
Assists per game1.01.4Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile16.0%13.7%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile16.3%Better result for this metric.10.9%
Rebounds per game4.74.7

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.2%Better result for this metric.1.1%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile2.2%Better result for this metric.1.8%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Keith Lee and Walter Berry
MetricKeith LeeWalter Berry
Points per game6.114.1Better 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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Walter Berry ranks higher in career impact.

Keith LeeMetricWalter Berry
#1939Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1544Leads
-1.7Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.4Leads
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
-23 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+157 ptsLeads

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

Walter Berry leads every available measure below.

Keith LeeMetricWalter Berry
86Listed-team regular-season wins179Leads
35.0%Listed-team winning percentage43.7%Leads
050-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
0Playoff team seasons3Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Keith LeeMetricWalter Berry
Not availablePlayoff appearances2
Not availablePlayoff games7
Not availableTeam playoff wins1
Not availableFinals appearances0
Not availableChampionships0

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Keith LeeMetricWalter Berry
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.

View
Align careers by
Keith LeeWalter BerryPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.