Lenny Wilkens
1960–61 to 1974–75 · 15 seasons
NBA player comparison
Lenny Wilkens vs. Vern Gardner: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Lenny Wilkens ranks higher in career impact
Vern Gardner
1950–51 to 1951–52 · 2 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.
#81LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#735
+3.2LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.3
+1.4LeadsAverage box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.1
#8LeadsBest league finish#41
+3,220 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+67 pts
1,077LeadsGames88
Career Impact Rank places Lenny Wilkens #81 and Vern Gardner #735. 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.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedLenny Wilkens12.120 · No. 81Vern Gardner74.367 · No. 735
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.
Lenny Wilkens
12.120 composite · No. 81 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 81967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 10.000 | 50% | 5.000 |
| Best 5No. 81967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.600 | 30% | 3.780 |
| Best 10No. 81967–68Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 101972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121968–69Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201960–61Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201964–65Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211962–63Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211963–64Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211965–66Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 211966–67Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 16.700 | 20% | 3.340 |
5.000 + 3.780 + 3.340= 12.120
Vern Gardner
74.367 composite · No. 735 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 411950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 521951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 101.5 | 64.833 | 50% | 32.417 |
| Best 5No. 411950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 521951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 101.5 | 79.500 | 30% | 23.850 |
| Best 10No. 411950–51Reconstructed historical estimateNo. 521951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8 open slots × No. 101.5 | 90.500 | 20% | 18.100 |
32.417 + 23.850 + 18.100= 74.367
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 101.5, 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 | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #81Better result for this metric. | #735 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 10.0Better result for this metric. | 64.8 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 12.6Better result for this metric. | 79.5 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 16.7Better result for this metric. | 90.5 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #76Better result for this metric. | #1550 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.2Better result for this metric. | +0.3 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.7 | Unavailable |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +2.6 | Unavailable |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.9 | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +3,220 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +67 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 0 | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 2Better result for this metric. | 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 | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,077 | 88 |
| Minutes | 38,064 | 1,604 |
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 | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 51.1%Better result for this metric. | 38.6% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 52.0% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 43.2%Better result for this metric. | 34.8% |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Free-throw percentage | 77.4%Better result for this metric. | 70.0% |
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 | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 29.7% | Unavailable |
| Assists per game | 6.7Better result for this metric. | 1.4 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 22.4% | Unavailable |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.5% | Unavailable |
| Rebounds per game | 4.7Better result for this metric. | 4.0 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.4% | Unavailable |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.4% | Unavailable |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Lenny Wilkens | Vern Gardner |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 16.5Better result for this metric. | 5.5 |
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
Lenny Wilkens ranks higher in career impact.
Lenny WilkensMetricVern Gardner
#81LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#735
+3.2LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.3
+2.6Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
+3,220 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+67 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.
Lenny WilkensMetricVern Gardner
1,071LeadsListed-team regular-season wins73
0.5%Listed-team winning percentage55.3%Leads
12Leads50-win team seasons0
11Leads60-win team seasons0
7LeadsPlayoff team seasons2
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
Lenny Wilkens leads every available measure below.
Lenny WilkensMetricVern Gardner
7LeadsPlayoff appearances2
64LeadsPlayoff games5
31LeadsTeam playoff wins1
1LeadsFinals 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.
Lenny WilkensMetricVern Gardner
9All-StarNot available
0MVPNot available
0All-NBANot available
0All-DefenseNot available
0DPOYNot available
0Rookie 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.
Lenny WilkensVern GardnerPeak 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.
Lenny WilkensNBA seasonVern Gardner
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
No season
Season 4
No season
Season 5
No season
Season 6
No season
Season 7
No season
Season 8
No season
Season 9
No season
Season 10
No season
Season 11
No season
Season 12
No season
Season 13
No season
Season 14
No season
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.