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NBA player comparison

Nik Stauskas vs. Patrick McCaw: Career comparison

hussEyquationShort-career comparison
Regular-season verdict

Nik Stauskas ranks higher in career impact

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.

#2668LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2737
-2.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.9Leads
-2.8Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.7Leads
#278Best league finish#250Leads
-108 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value-54 ptsLeads
343LeadsGames199

Career Impact Rank places Nik Stauskas #2668 and Patrick McCaw #2737. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Patrick McCaw 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.

Short-career comparisonhusseyquation.com/compare/nik-stauskas/patrick-mccaw/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedNik Stauskas299.540 · No. 2,668Patrick McCaw309.720 · No. 2,737

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.

Nik Stauskas

299.540 composite · No. 2,668 all-time

Nik Stauskas's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 2782016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2842017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2902015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate284.00050%142.000
Best 5No. 2782016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2842017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2902015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2992018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3622014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate302.60030%90.780
Best 10No. 2782016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2842017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2902015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2992018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3622014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate5 open slots × No. 365333.80020%66.760

142.000 + 90.780 + 66.760= 299.540

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 365, this player's stored replacement finish.

Patrick McCaw

309.720 composite · No. 2,737 all-time

Patrick McCaw's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 2502016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2802019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3432017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate291.00050%145.500
Best 5No. 2502016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2802019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3432017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2 open slots × No. 363319.80030%95.940
Best 10No. 2502016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2802019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 3432017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate7 open slots × No. 363341.40020%68.280

145.500 + 95.940 + 68.280= 309.720

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 363, 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 →

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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.

Impact: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2668Better result for this metric.#2737
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better284.0Better result for this metric.291.0
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better302.6Better result for this metric.319.8
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better333.8Better result for this metric.341.4
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#4551#4196Better result for this metric.
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.3-1.9Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.4Better result for this metric.-2.7
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.8Unavailable
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailableUnavailable
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-108 pts-54 ptsBetter result for this metric.
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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.

Playing time and workload: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Games343199
Minutes6,7013,373

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.

Shooting: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
True shooting percentage52.7%Better result for this metric.51.1%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile52.7%Better result for this metric.50.6%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Field-goal percentage38.9%42.0%Better result for this metric.
Three-point percentage35.4%Better result for this metric.30.5%
Free-throw percentage81.2%Better result for this metric.78.5%

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.

Passing: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile11.2%Better result for this metric.10.4%
Assists per game1.5Better result for this metric.1.4
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile13.2%Better result for this metric.13.8%

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile5.8%Better result for this metric.5.0%
Rebounds per game2.0Better result for this metric.1.6

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.0%1.9%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile0.9%Better result for this metric.0.8%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Nik Stauskas and Patrick McCaw
MetricNik StauskasPatrick McCaw
Points per game6.7Better result for this metric.3.8

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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Nik Stauskas ranks higher in career impact.

Nik StauskasMetricPatrick McCaw
#2668LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2737
-2.3Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.9Leads
-2.8Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterNot available
-108 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-54 ptsLeads

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Nik StauskasMetricPatrick McCaw
323LeadsListed-team regular-season wins282
43.8%Listed-team winning percentage59.7%Leads
450-win team seasons4
060-win team seasons1Leads
4Playoff team seasons4

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

Patrick McCaw leads every available measure below.

Nik StauskasMetricPatrick McCaw
1Playoff appearances3Leads
13Playoff games32Leads
14Team playoff wins48Leads
1Finals appearances3Leads
0Championships3Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Nik StauskasMetricPatrick McCaw
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.

View
Align careers by
Nik StauskasPatrick McCawPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.