Larry Smith
1980–81 to 1992–93 · 13 seasons
NBA player comparison
Larry Smith vs. Rory Sparrow: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Rory Sparrow ranks higher in career impact
Rory Sparrow
1980–81 to 1991–92 · 12 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.
#1360Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1245Leads
-0.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1Leads
-0.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.3Leads
129.7Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better109.0Leads
+355 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+354 pts
149.9LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better155.9
Career Impact Rank places Rory Sparrow #1245 and Larry Smith #1360. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Larry Smith had 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 Smith135.253 · No. 1,360Rory Sparrow121.260 · No. 1,245
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 Smith
135.253 composite · No. 1,360 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1261981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1301988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1331986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 129.667 | 50% | 64.833 |
| Best 5No. 1261981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1301988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1331986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1421980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1431984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 134.800 | 30% | 40.440 |
| Best 10No. 1261981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1301988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1331986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1421980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1431984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1601982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1631990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1651983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1651989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1721985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 149.900 | 20% | 29.980 |
64.833 + 40.440 + 29.980= 135.253
Rory Sparrow
121.260 composite · No. 1,245 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1051985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1141981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 109.000 | 50% | 54.500 |
| Best 5No. 1051985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1141981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1291982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 118.600 | 30% | 35.580 |
| Best 10No. 1051985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1141981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1291982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1371990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1501988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1561983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1981986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2241987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2381989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 155.900 | 20% | 31.180 |
54.500 + 35.580 + 31.180= 121.260
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 Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #1360 | #1245Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 129.7 | 109.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 134.8 | 118.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 149.9Better result for this metric. | 155.9 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #942Better result for this metric. | #943 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.5 | +0.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.7 | -0.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.8 | -0.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -1.1Better result for this metric. | -1.3 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +355 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +354 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 | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 883 | 836 |
| Minutes | 22,879 | 22,550 |
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 Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 54.1%Better result for this metric. | 50.2% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 53.8%Better result for this metric. | 49.9% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 53.1%Better result for this metric. | 46.6% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 26.0%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 53.1% | 79.7%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 | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.3% | 26.9%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 1.1 | 5.0Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 19.2% | 16.8%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 19.2%Better result for this metric. | 4.4% |
| Rebounds per game | 9.2Better result for this metric. | 2.1 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.5% | 1.8%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.2%Better result for this metric. | 0.3% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Larry Smith | Rory Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 6.7 | 9.0Better 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
Rory Sparrow ranks higher in career impact.
Larry SmithMetricRory Sparrow
#1360Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1245Leads
-0.5Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1Leads
-0.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.3Leads
+355 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+354 pts
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.
Larry SmithMetricRory Sparrow
492Listed-team regular-season wins527Leads
46.2%LeadsListed-team winning percentage42.8%
150-win team seasons2Leads
060-win team seasons1Leads
5Playoff team seasons8Leads
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
Larry Smith leads every available measure below.
Larry SmithMetricRory Sparrow
5Playoff appearances5
31LeadsPlayoff games30
14LeadsTeam playoff wins13
0Finals appearances0
0Championships0
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 SmithMetricRory Sparrow
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.
Larry SmithRory SparrowPeak 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.
Larry SmithNBA seasonRory Sparrow
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
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.