Rich Kelley
1975–76 to 1985–86 · 11 seasons
NBA player comparison
Rich Kelley vs. Sam Lacey: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Sam Lacey ranks higher in career impact
Sam Lacey
1970–71 to 1982–83 · 13 seasons
Impact comparison
#196Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114Leads
+4.1LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.4
+3.1LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.0
12.3Best 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better11.0Leads
+1,350 ptsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,441 ptsLeads
72.1Best 10 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better30.3Leads
Career Impact Rank places Sam Lacey #114 and Rich Kelley #196. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Rich Kelley had the higher single-season impact estimate.
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 calculatedRich Kelley25.867 · No. 196Sam Lacey15.940 · No. 114
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.
Rich Kelley
25.867 composite · No. 196 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 12.333 | 50% | 6.167 |
| Best 5No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 17.600 | 30% | 5.280 |
| Best 10No. 51978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 141975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 611979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 871981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1311982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1731983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1811984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 72.100 | 20% | 14.420 |
6.167 + 5.280 + 14.420= 25.867
Sam Lacey
15.940 composite · No. 114 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 11.000 | 50% | 5.500 |
| Best 5No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 221980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 14.600 | 30% | 4.380 |
| Best 10No. 61973–74Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 121974–75Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 151978–79Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 181979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 221980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231976–77Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 241977–78Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271975–76Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 731972–73Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 831971–72Reconstructed historical estimateIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 30.300 | 20% | 6.060 |
5.500 + 4.380 + 6.060= 15.940
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 | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #196 | #114Better result for this metric. |
| Best 3 average finish | 12.3 | 11.0Better result for this metric. |
| Best 5 average finish | 17.6 | 14.6Better result for this metric. |
| Best 10 average finish | 72.1 | 30.3Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #325 | #134Better result for this metric. |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +4.1Better result for this metric. | +3.4 |
| Best 3 average impact | +3.5Better result for this metric. | +3.2 |
| Best 5 average impact | +3.1Better result for this metric. | +3.0 |
| Best 10 average impact | +1.2 | +2.1Better result for this metric. |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +1,350 pts | +2,441 ptsBetter result for this metric. |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 1Better result for this metric. | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 1 | 1 |
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 | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 814 | 1,002 |
| Minutes | 17,711 | 31,873 |
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 | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 56.5%Better result for this metric. | 48.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 56.2%Better result for this metric. | 48.7% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 48.8%Better result for this metric. | 44.1% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 18.8%Better result for this metric. |
| Free-throw percentage | 78.3%Better result for this metric. | 73.8% |
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 | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 15.3% | 17.0%Better result for this metric. |
| Assists per game | 2.6 | 3.7Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 26.8% | 22.7%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 16.3%Better result for this metric. | 15.9% |
| Rebounds per game | 7.0 | 9.7Better result for this metric. |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.7% | 2.0%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.1% | 2.8%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Rich Kelley | Sam Lacey |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 7.6 | 10.3Better result for this metric. |
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
Sam Lacey ranks higher in career impact.
Rich KelleyMetricSam Lacey
#196Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#114Leads
+4.1LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.4
+3.1LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.0
+1,350 ptsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,441 ptsLeads
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.
Rich KelleyMetricSam Lacey
572Listed-team regular-season wins795Leads
2.7%LeadsListed-team winning percentage0.7%
350-win team seasons6Leads
160-win team seasons6Leads
7LeadsPlayoff team seasons5
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
Rich Kelley leads every available measure below.
Rich KelleyMetricSam Lacey
6LeadsPlayoff appearances4
45LeadsPlayoff games29
17LeadsTeam playoff wins11
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.
Rich KelleyMetricSam Lacey
Not availableAll-Star1
Not availableMVP0
Not availableAll-NBA0
Not availableAll-Defense0
Not availableDPOY0
Not availableRookie 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.
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.
Rich KelleySam LaceyPeak 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.
Rich KelleyNBA seasonSam Lacey
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
No 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.