Michael Phelps
1985–86 to 1987–88 · 3 seasons
NBA player comparison
Michael Phelps vs. Willie Green: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Willie Green ranks higher in career impact
Willie Green
2003–04 to 2014–15 · 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.
#2250Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1916Leads
-3.6Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1Leads
-3.8Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.5Leads
#228Best league finish#144Leads
-53 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value-134 pts
132Games731Leads
Career Impact Rank places Willie Green #1916 and Michael Phelps #2250. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Michael Phelps 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 calculatedMichael Phelps243.433 · No. 2,250Willie Green207.147 · No. 1,916
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.
Michael Phelps
243.433 composite · No. 2,250 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 2281986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2311985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 257 | 238.667 | 50% | 119.333 |
| Best 5No. 2281986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2311985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 257 | 246.000 | 30% | 73.800 |
| Best 10No. 2281986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2311985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8 open slots × No. 257 | 251.500 | 20% | 50.300 |
119.333 + 73.800 + 50.300= 243.433
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 257, this player's stored replacement finish.
Willie Green
207.147 composite · No. 1,916 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 1442011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1992007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2222012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 188.333 | 50% | 94.167 |
| Best 5No. 1442011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1992007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2222012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2242009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2382008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 205.400 | 30% | 61.620 |
| Best 10No. 1442011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1992007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2222012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2242009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2382008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2872010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3002003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3122006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3132004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3292013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 256.800 | 20% | 51.360 |
94.167 + 61.620 + 51.360= 207.147
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 | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #2250 | #1916Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 238.7 | 188.3Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 246.0 | 205.4Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 251.5Better result for this metric. | 256.8 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #4183Better result for this metric. | #4625 |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -3.6 | +0.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -0.8 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -1.1 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -2.4 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | -53 ptsBetter result for this metric. | -134 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 | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 132 | 731 |
| Minutes | 1,372 | 14,783 |
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 | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 45.0% | 49.8%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 45.2% | 50.3%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 41.6% | 42.5%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 9.1% | 34.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 63.9% | 76.5%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 | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 14.9%Better result for this metric. | 11.7% |
| Assists per game | 1.0 | 1.4Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 15.2% | 10.4%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 5.9%Better result for this metric. | 5.2% |
| Rebounds per game | 1.1 | 1.8Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.3%Better result for this metric. | 1.4% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.2% | 0.6%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Michael Phelps | Willie Green |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 3.6 | 8.3Better 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
Willie Green ranks higher in career impact.
Michael PhelpsMetricWillie Green
#2250Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1916Leads
-3.6Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.1Leads
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.1
-53 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-134 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Willie Green leads every available measure below.
Michael PhelpsMetricWillie Green
87Listed-team regular-season wins481Leads
35.4%Listed-team winning percentage49.7%Leads
050-win team seasons2Leads
060-win team seasons0
1Playoff team seasons7Leads
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
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Michael PhelpsMetricWillie Green
Not availablePlayoff appearances7
Not availablePlayoff games36
Not availableTeam playoff wins17
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.
Awards
No recorded measure separates these careers.
Michael PhelpsMetricWillie Green
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.
Michael PhelpsWillie GreenPeak 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.
Michael PhelpsNBA seasonWillie Green
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
No season
Season 4No season
Season 5No season
Season 6No season
Season 7No season
Season 8No season
Season 9No season
Season 10No season
Season 11Observed 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.