Lew Hitch
1951–52 to 1956–57 · 6 seasons
NBA player comparison
Lew Hitch vs. Michael Smith: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Lew Hitch ranks higher in career impact
Michael Smith
1994–95 to 2000–01 · 7 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.
#242LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1198
+1.3LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.7
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.4Leads
22.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better96.7
+370 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+419 ptsLeads
54.9LeadsBest 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better181.6
Career Impact Rank places Lew Hitch #242 and Michael Smith #1198. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Michael 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 calculatedLew Hitch31.447 · No. 242Michael Smith116.273 · No. 1,198
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.
Lew Hitch
31.447 composite · No. 242 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 181953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201954–55Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 291955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 22.333 | 50% | 11.167 |
| Best 5No. 181953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201954–55Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 291955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 541952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 31.000 | 30% | 9.300 |
| Best 10No. 181953–54Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 201954–55Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 291955–56Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 541952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 641956–57Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4 open slots × No. 82.5 | 54.900 | 20% | 10.980 |
11.167 + 9.300 + 10.980= 31.447
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 82.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
Michael Smith
116.273 composite · No. 1,198 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 961995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 962000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 981997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 96.667 | 50% | 48.333 |
| Best 5No. 961995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 962000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 981997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1071996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1301998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 105.400 | 30% | 31.620 |
| Best 10No. 961995–96Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 962000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 981997–98Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1071996–97Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1301998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1461999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1861994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 319 | 181.600 | 20% | 36.320 |
48.333 + 31.620 + 36.320= 116.273
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 319, 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 | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #242Better result for this metric. | #1198 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 22.3Better result for this metric. | 96.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 31.0Better result for this metric. | 105.4 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 54.9Better result for this metric. | 181.6 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #922 | #866Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.3Better result for this metric. | +0.7 |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.8Better result for this metric. | +0.6 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.3 | +0.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +370 pts | +419 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 | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 414 | 449 |
| Minutes | 8,364 | 10,552 |
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 | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 43.5% | 55.2%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 55.6% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 37.6% | 53.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 14.3% |
| Free-throw percentage | 67.4%Better result for this metric. | 52.9% |
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 | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 9.5% |
| Assists per game | 1.2 | 1.5Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 18.7% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 17.5% |
| Rebounds per game | 5.3 | 7.1Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 1.8% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 1.7% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Lew Hitch | Michael Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 5.0 | 5.6Better 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
Lew Hitch ranks higher in career impact.
Lew HitchMetricMichael Smith
#242LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1198
+1.3LeadsPeak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.7
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.4Leads
+370 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+419 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Lew Hitch leads every available measure below.
Lew HitchMetricMichael Smith
276LeadsListed-team regular-season wins214
48.6%LeadsListed-team winning percentage34.3%
050-win team seasons0
060-win team seasons0
5LeadsPlayoff team seasons1
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
Lew Hitch leads every available measure below.
Lew HitchMetricMichael Smith
5LeadsPlayoff appearances1
37LeadsPlayoff games4
23LeadsTeam playoff wins1
2LeadsFinals appearances0
2LeadsChampionships0
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.
Lew HitchMetricMichael Smith
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.
Lew HitchMichael SmithPeak 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.
Lew HitchNBA seasonMichael Smith
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
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.