
Pau Gasol
2011–12
65 games · 2,430 minutes
NBA player comparison
Paul Pierce ranks ahead of Pau Gasol in estimated impact while playing. This compares regular-season performance, not total contribution across the season.

2011–12
65 games · 2,430 minutes

2011–12
61 games · 2,075 minutes
Impact estimate is measured in points per 100 possessions above league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Impact Rate rank is a league place, not a 0–100 score: No. 1 is best.
Paul Pierce's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +4.4, compared with +3.4 for Pau Gasol. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 2011–12 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.
Pau Gasol: 65 games and 2,430 minutes. Paul Pierce: 61 games and 2,075 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.
Read turnover rate alongside offensive workload. Offensive usage measures the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on the court—not every touch, pass, or act of playmaking. These rows provide context; they are not extra points added to the ranking.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Behind the estimate
A verified breakdown of this season’s published estimate is unavailable. We do not substitute another season’s calculation.
What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. A verified teammate-shooting comparison is unavailable for this selected season. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.
Full comparison · 2011–12 season
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
The impact estimate compares performance while playing, not total contribution over the season. The individual-stat estimate plus the lineup adjustment gives the final estimate.
| Metric | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +3.4 | +4.4Better result for this metric. |
| Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best | #25 | #13Better result for this metric. |
Pau Gasol: verified lineup window unavailable. Paul Pierce: verified lineup window unavailable. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.
2 · Playing time and responsibility
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 | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 65 | 61 |
| Minutes | 2,430 | 2,075 |
3 · Individual skills
These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. 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.
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 54.7% | 56.7%Better result for this metric. |
| Metric | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 50.1%Better result for this metric. | 44.3% |
| Three-point percentage | 25.9% | 36.6%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.2% | 85.2%Better result for this metric. |
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 | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 3.6 | 4.5Better result for this metric. |
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 10.4Better result for this metric. | 5.2 |
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Pau Gasol | Paul Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 17.4 | 19.4Better result for this metric. |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
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.
Paul Pierce leads in impact for 2011–12.
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Pau Gasol leads every available measure below.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Selected seasons
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average