Larry Drew
1980–81 to 1990–91 · 10 seasons
NBA player comparison
Larry Drew vs. Norm Nixon: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Larry Drew ranks higher in career impact
Norm Nixon
1977–78 to 1988–89 · 10 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.
#988LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#993
+1.1Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.1Leads
+0.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2Leads
69.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better76.7
+529 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+825 ptsLeads
145.2Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better131.9Leads
Career Impact Rank places Larry Drew #988 and Norm Nixon #993. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Norm Nixon 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 calculatedLarry Drew93.120 · No. 988Norm Nixon93.873 · No. 993
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.
Larry Drew
93.120 composite · No. 988 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 571983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 671982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 69.000 | 50% | 34.500 |
| Best 5No. 571983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 671982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1351984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1511987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 98.600 | 30% | 29.580 |
| Best 10No. 571983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 671982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1351984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1511987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1521985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1541986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2131980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2171989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2231990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 145.200 | 20% | 29.040 |
34.500 + 29.580 + 29.040= 93.120
Norm Nixon
93.873 composite · No. 993 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 271978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 921983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1111985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 76.667 | 50% | 38.333 |
| Best 5No. 271978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 921983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1111985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1191980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 97.200 | 30% | 29.160 |
| Best 10No. 271978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 921983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1111985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1191980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1401981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1471979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1901982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2191988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 131.900 | 20% | 26.380 |
38.333 + 29.160 + 26.380= 93.873
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 | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #988Better result for this metric. | #993 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 69.0Better result for this metric. | 76.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 98.6 | 97.2Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 145.2 | 131.9Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #752 | #540Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.1 | +2.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.8Better result for this metric. | +0.7 |
| 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 | -1.0 | -0.8Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +529 pts | +825 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 | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 714 | 768 |
| Minutes | 18,370 | 27,250 |
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 | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 51.7% | 51.7% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 51.2% | 51.2% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 46.7% | 48.3%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 29.1% | 29.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 79.8%Better result for this metric. | 77.2% |
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 | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 28.6% | 31.7%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 5.2 | 8.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 17.9% | 17.3%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.9% | 4.0%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 1.8 | 2.6Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.0% | 2.0% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Larry Drew | Norm Nixon |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 11.4 | 15.7Better 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
Larry Drew ranks higher in career impact.
Larry DrewMetricNorm Nixon
#988LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#993
+1.1Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.1Leads
+0.1Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.2Leads
+529 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+825 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Norm Nixon leads every available measure below.
Larry DrewMetricNorm Nixon
352Listed-team regular-season wins435Leads
42.9%Listed-team winning percentage53.0%Leads
250-win team seasons4Leads
160-win team seasons1
4Playoff 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
Norm Nixon leads every available measure below.
Larry DrewMetricNorm Nixon
4Playoff appearances6Leads
31Playoff games58Leads
16Team playoff wins37Leads
1Finals appearances3Leads
0Championships2Leads
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.
Larry DrewMetricNorm Nixon
Not availableAll-Star2
Not availableMVP0
Not availableAll-NBA0
Not availableAll-Defense0
Not availableDPOY0
Not availableRookie 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.
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.
Larry DrewNorm NixonPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
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.
Larry DrewNBA seasonNorm Nixon
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
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.