Ralph O'Brien
1951–52 to 1952–53 · 2 seasons
NBA player comparison
Ralph O'Brien vs. Steve Blake: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Ralph O'Brien ranks higher in career impact
Steve Blake
2003–04 to 2015–16 · 13 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.
#865LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1489
-0.9Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8Leads
-1.6Average box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.6
#60LeadsBest league finish#93
+31 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+228 ptsLeads
119Games870Leads
Career Impact Rank places Ralph O'Brien #865 and Steve Blake #1489. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Steve Blake 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.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedRalph O'Brien83.427 · No. 865Steve Blake150.433 · No. 1,489
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.
Ralph O'Brien
83.427 composite · No. 865 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 601951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 96.5 | 78.833 | 50% | 39.417 |
| Best 5No. 601951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 96.5 | 85.900 | 30% | 25.770 |
| Best 10No. 601951–52Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 801952–53Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8 open slots × No. 96.5 | 91.200 | 20% | 18.240 |
39.417 + 25.770 + 18.240= 83.427
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 96.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
Steve Blake
150.433 composite · No. 1,489 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 932008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1192005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1772007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 129.667 | 50% | 64.833 |
| Best 5No. 932008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1192005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1772007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1802012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1852009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 150.800 | 30% | 45.240 |
| Best 10No. 932008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1192005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1772007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1802012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1852009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2142013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2362003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2482006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2702010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2962011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 201.800 | 20% | 40.360 |
64.833 + 45.240 + 40.360= 150.433
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 | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #865Better result for this metric. | #1489 |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 78.8Better result for this metric. | 129.7 |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 85.9Better result for this metric. | 150.8 |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 91.2Better result for this metric. | 201.8 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #1748 | #1137Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | -0.9 | +0.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | +0.1 |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -0.3 |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | -1.2 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +31 pts | +228 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 | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 119 | 870 |
| Minutes | 2,335 | 20,823 |
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 | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 42.2% | 52.1%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 52.5% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 36.0% | 40.1%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | Unavailable | 38.3% |
| Free-throw percentage | 83.0%Better result for this metric. | 77.9% |
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 | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 25.2% |
| Assists per game | 1.5 | 4.0Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 18.4% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 5.1% |
| Rebounds per game | 1.6 | 2.1Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 1.5% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | Unavailable | 0.2% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Ralph O'Brien | Steve Blake |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 7.1Better result for this metric. | 6.5 |
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
Ralph O'Brien ranks higher in career impact.
Ralph O'BrienMetricSteve Blake
#865LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#1489
-0.9Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.8Leads
Not availableBest 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.3
+31 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+228 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Steve Blake leads every available measure below.
Ralph O'BrienMetricSteve Blake
114Listed-team regular-season wins654Leads
41.3%Listed-team winning percentage50.5%Leads
050-win team seasons5Leads
060-win team seasons0
4Playoff team seasons10Leads
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
Steve Blake leads every available measure below.
Ralph O'BrienMetricSteve Blake
2Playoff appearances9Leads
3Playoff games53Leads
0Team playoff wins20Leads
0Finals appearances0
0Championships0
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.
Ralph O'BrienMetricSteve Blake
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.
Ralph O'BrienSteve BlakePeak 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.
Ralph O'BrienNBA seasonSteve Blake
Season 1
Season 2
No season
Season 3No season
Season 4No season
Season 5No season
Season 6No season
Season 7No season
Season 8No season
Season 9No season
Season 10No season
Season 11No season
Season 12Observed 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.