Ralph Sampson
1983–84 to 1991–92 · 9 seasons
NBA player comparison
Ralph Sampson vs. Swen Nater: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Swen Nater ranks higher in career impact
Swen Nater
1976–77 to 1983–84 · 8 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.
#950Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#843Leads
+1.4Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.8Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.6Leads
62.0Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better58.0Leads
+545 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+636 ptsLeads
165.8Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better151.1Leads
Career Impact Rank places Swen Nater #843 and Ralph Sampson #950. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
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 Sampson90.560 · No. 950Swen Nater81.360 · No. 843
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 Sampson
90.560 composite · No. 950 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 471983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 641985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 751984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 62.000 | 50% | 31.000 |
| Best 5No. 471983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 641985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 751984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1781987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 88.000 | 30% | 26.400 |
| Best 10No. 471983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 641985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 751984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 761986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1781987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1961988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4 open slots × No. 255.5 | 165.800 | 20% | 33.160 |
31.000 + 26.400 + 33.160= 90.560
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 255.5, this player's stored replacement finish.
Swen Nater
81.360 composite · No. 843 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 311976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 581980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 851979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 58.000 | 50% | 29.000 |
| Best 5No. 311976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 581980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 851979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 73.800 | 30% | 22.140 |
| Best 10No. 311976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 581980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 851979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1081978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1631981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2441983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 245 | 151.100 | 20% | 30.220 |
29.000 + 22.140 + 30.220= 81.360
Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 245, 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 →
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 Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #950 | #843Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 62.0 | 58.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 88.0 | 73.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better | 165.8 | 151.1Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #735 | #672Better result for this metric. |
| Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.4 | +1.8Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +1.0 | +1.1Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | +0.3 | +0.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +545 pts | +636 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 Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 456 | 489 |
| Minutes | 13,591 | 13,868 |
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 Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 51.8% | 57.7%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 51.5% | 58.0%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 48.6% | 53.7%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 17.2% | 25.0%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 66.1% | 76.0%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 | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 11.0%Better result for this metric. | 8.6% |
| Assists per game | 2.3Better result for this metric. | 2.0 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.8%Better result for this metric. | 18.7% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 15.8% | 20.5%Better result for this metric. |
| Rebounds per game | 8.8 | 10.8Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3%Better result for this metric. | 0.9% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.1%Better result for this metric. | 0.9% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Ralph Sampson | Swen Nater |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 15.4Better result for this metric. | 12.2 |
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
Swen Nater ranks higher in career impact.
Ralph SampsonMetricSwen Nater
#950Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#843Leads
+1.4Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+1.8Leads
+0.3Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+0.6Leads
+545 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+636 ptsLeads
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Ralph Sampson leads every available measure below.
Ralph SampsonMetricSwen Nater
352LeadsListed-team regular-season wins267
42.9%LeadsListed-team winning percentage40.7%
150-win team seasons1
060-win team seasons0
5LeadsPlayoff team seasons1
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
Ralph Sampson leads every available measure below.
Ralph SampsonMetricSwen Nater
4LeadsPlayoff appearances1
38LeadsPlayoff games17
24LeadsTeam playoff wins14
1Finals appearances1
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 SampsonMetricSwen Nater
4All-StarNot available
0MVPNot available
1All-NBANot available
0All-DefenseNot available
0DPOYNot available
1Rookie 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 SampsonSwen NaterPeak 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.
Ralph SampsonNBA seasonSwen Nater
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Observed 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.