Paul George
2025–26
NBA player comparison
Paul George vs. Jaylen Brown: 2025–26 season
Regular-season verdict
Paul George leads in impact. Jaylen Brown carried the heavier load.
George ranks higher in estimated impact per possession for 2025–26. Brown played nearly twice as many games and took on a larger offensive role.
Jaylen Brown
2025–26
Impact comparison
+1.7LeadsSeason impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+1.3
#41LeadsSeason impact rank#75
+0.47LeadsEstimated defensive impactSelected-season lineup estimate · points per 100 possessions-1.27
+0.33Estimated offensive impactSelected-season lineup estimate · points per 100 possessions+1.17Leads
2.6%LeadsSteal rate1.5%
10.2%LeadsTurnover rateLower is better; compare alongside offensive workload12.7%
23.3%Offensive usage36.2%
57.0%True shooting %57.3%Leads
17.7%Assist rateShare of teammates’ made shots assisted while on court25.9%Leads
9.4%Rebound rateShare of available rebounds collected while on court11.1%Leads
37Games71
1,135Minutes2,443
Paul George's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +1.7, compared with +1.3 for Jaylen Brown. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 2025–26 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.
Paul George: 37 games and 1,135 minutes. Jaylen Brown: 71 games and 2,443 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.
Jaylen Brown ended a larger share of his team’s possessions, so the turnover rates are not an equal-workload comparison. 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.
Read the result
Who was better in 2025–26: Paul George or Jaylen Brown?
Why George ranks higher
The estimate from individual stats actually favors Brown, +1.55 to +1.46. The lineup adjustment changes the order: +0.21 for George and -0.30 for Brown. That produces final estimates of +1.67 and +1.25 points per 100 possessions above league average. It uses 3 seasons of lineup evidence for each player, not just 2025–26.
See the calculation →The case for Brown
Brown played 71 games and 2,443 minutes, compared with George’s 37 games and 1,135 minutes. He also ended a larger share of team possessions with a shot, free throws, or a turnover: 36.2% versus 23.3%. George’s higher estimate while playing does not settle who contributed more over the whole season. In the available sample, teammates also shot better with Brown on the floor: +2.4% versus +0.8% with George. Those are percentage-point changes, with extra credit for three-pointers. The samples are incomplete, and this does not prove either player caused the improvement.
Inspect the with/without results →What this answer does not settle
This is a regular-season comparison, not a verdict on their playoffs, whole careers, or trade value. The impact gap is an estimate, not proof of a decisive advantage. Team results depend on teammates and opponents too. Read the model calculation separately from the observed with/without results; they answer different questions.
Compare George and Brown’s careers →Behind the estimate
Why the model rates them this way
The model starts with each player’s recorded individual stats, then adjusts that estimate using lineup results. The first two rows add up to the final estimate. All figures are points per 100 possessions.
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
+1.46From recorded individual stats+1.55Leads
+0.21LeadsAdjustment from recent lineup results-0.30
+1.67LeadsFinal estimated impact+1.25
Lineup evidence: Paul George — 3 seasons; Jaylen Brown — 3 seasons. This adjustment is not necessarily based on the selected season alone.
Offensive and defensive lineup estimates for the selected season
These selected-season estimates account for who played alongside and against each player. Positive means better than average; a positive defensive figure means fewer points allowed. They are separate estimates—not additional points added to the calculation above. They do not measure how much individual teammates improved.
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
+0.33Adjusted offensive impact+1.17Leads
+0.47LeadsAdjusted defensive impact-1.27
What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. The observed with/without results below answer a different question and do not change the ranking. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.
Full comparison · 2025–26 season
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?
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 | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Season impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +1.7 | +1.3 |
| Season impact rank | #41 | #75 |
| From recorded individual stats | +1.46 | +1.55 |
| Adjustment from recent lineup results | +0.21 | -0.30 |
Paul George: 3 seasons of lineup evidence. Jaylen Brown: 3 seasons of lineup evidence. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Final estimated impact | +1.67 | +1.25 |
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 | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 37 | 71 |
| Minutes | 1,135 | 2,443 |
| Offensive usage | 23.3% | 36.2% |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. Green marks a higher impact result above; these skill rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.0% | 57.3% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 43.9% | 47.7% |
| Three-point percentage | 39.2% | 34.7% |
| Free-throw percentage | 82.0% | 79.5% |
| Three-point attempt rateShare of field-goal attempts taken from three; describes shot selection, not quality | 49.7% | 26.2% |
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 | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateShare of teammates’ made shots assisted while on court | 17.7% | 25.9% |
| Assists per game | 3.6 | 5.1 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateLower is better; compare alongside offensive workload | 10.2% | 12.7% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateShare of available rebounds collected while on court | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| Rebounds per game | 5.3 | 6.9 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rate | 2.6% | 1.5% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateShare of opponents’ two-point attempts blocked while on court | 1.3% | 1.1% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 17.3 | 28.7 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
These are observed results, not adjusted model estimates. Different teammates, opponents, injuries, and substitutions can explain some of the difference. They do not establish cause and effect or change the ranking.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Change in team scoringPositive means more points scored; not adjusted for lineups | +3.02 | -0.36 |
| Improvement in team defensePositive means fewer points allowed with him; not adjusted for lineups | +1.82 | -5.88 |
| Teammate shooting differencePercentage-point difference, not relative percent change; not proof of causation | +0.8% | +2.4% |
Incomplete samples. Paul George: 1,080 of 1,135 recorded player minutes covered (95.2%), and 2,800 minutes without him. Jaylen Brown: 2,414 of 2,443 recorded player minutes covered (98.8%), and 1,436 minutes without him. Missing minutes are not zero. Minute coverage is not a possession count.
Show more stats: Observed team results
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Team scoring — with himPoints scored per 100 possessions | 117.8 | 120.8 |
| Team scoring — without himPoints scored per 100 possessions | 114.8 | 121.2 |
| Points allowed — with himOpponent points per 100 possessions | 113.9 | 114.5 |
| Points allowed — without himOpponent points per 100 possessions | 115.7 | 108.6 |
| Teammate shooting — with himWeighted same-teammate shooting percentage, with extra credit for threes | 54.1% | 58.6% |
| Teammate shooting — without himUses the same teammates and weights as the with-player row | 53.3% | 56.2% |
How teammate shooting is calculated
We exclude the player’s own shots and compare the same teammates with and without him. Each teammate needs at least 100 minutes in both situations. Both averages use the smaller of each teammate’s two minute totals as the weight. Three-pointers receive extra credit. Differences are percentage points, not relative percentage increases. This is an average of teammate rates, not pooled team shooting.
Paul George: 9 qualifying teammates
- Andre Drummond: 51.9% with him (275 minutes), 52.1% without him (904 minutes).
- Joel Embiid: 52.0% with him (558 minutes), 53.3% without him (643 minutes).
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: 51.5% with him (265 minutes), 55.4% without him (1,254 minutes).
- Quentin Grimes: 53.8% with him (476 minutes), 53.3% without him (1,685 minutes).
- Tyrese Maxey: 53.6% with him (791 minutes), 53.7% without him (1,804 minutes).
- Dominick Barlow: 56.7% with him (458 minutes), 56.6% without him (1,195 minutes).
- Adem Bona: 66.7% with him (247 minutes), 58.7% without him (951 minutes).
- Jared McCain: 40.5% with him (208 minutes), 51.9% without him (412 minutes).
- VJ Edgecombe: 56.1% with him (793 minutes), 49.3% without him (1,759 minutes).
Sample retrieved 2026-10-12. Source rates are rounded.
Jaylen Brown: 12 qualifying teammates
- Nikola Vučević: 38.6% with him (189 minutes), 58.9% without him (130 minutes).
- Jayson Tatum: 53.5% with him (318 minutes), 44.2% without him (204 minutes).
- Derrick White: 51.8% with him (1,702 minutes), 45.0% without him (907 minutes).
- Anfernee Simons: 55.9% with him (585 minutes), 55.2% without him (617 minutes).
- Neemias Queta: 65.1% with him (1,310 minutes), 65.2% without him (603 minutes).
- Payton Pritchard: 54.7% with him (1,665 minutes), 57.7% without him (861 minutes).
- Luka Garza: 66.6% with him (582 minutes), 66.0% without him (482 minutes).
- Sam Hauser: 61.1% with him (1,104 minutes), 53.3% without him (802 minutes).
- Josh Minott: 65.1% with him (286 minutes), 59.8% without him (240 minutes).
- Baylor Scheierman: 62.8% with him (626 minutes), 57.9% without him (740 minutes).
- Jordan Walsh: 60.8% with him (599 minutes), 60.9% without him (558 minutes).
- Hugo González: 57.4% with him (444 minutes), 54.5% without him (615 minutes).
Sample retrieved 2026-10-12. Source rates are rounded.
Selected-season adjusted lineup estimates
These account for who played alongside and against each player. Positive defense means fewer points allowed. They are separate from the observed results and are not additional points added to the model calculation.
| Metric | Paul George | Jaylen Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted offensive impact | +0.33 | +1.17 |
| Adjusted defensive impact | +0.47 | -1.27 |
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.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
Paul George leads in impact. Jaylen Brown carried the heavier load..
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
+1.7LeadsSeason impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+1.3
#41LeadsSeason impact rank#75
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.
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
708LeadsListed-team regular-season wins530
55.5%Listed-team winning percentage66.3%Leads
250-win team seasons7Leads
060-win team seasons2Leads
13LeadsPlayoff team seasons10
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
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
12LeadsPlayoff appearances9
125Playoff games142Leads
57Team playoff wins85Leads
0Finals appearances2Leads
0Championships1Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Paul George leads every available measure below.
Paul GeorgeMetricJaylen Brown
9LeadsAll-Star5
0MVP0
6LeadsAll-NBA2
4LeadsAll-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0
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. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
Selected seasons
Era-centered impact
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
Paul GeorgeJaylen Brown
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.