hussEyquation
Menu

Explore hussEyquation

NBA player comparison

Steve Henson vs. Willie Burton: Career comparison

hussEyquationShort-career comparison
Regular-season verdict

Willie Burton ranks higher in career impact

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.

#2244Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2041Leads
-1.4Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-0.8Leads
-1.6LeadsAverage box impact to dateEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-2.7
#181Best league finish#161Leads
-6 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value-76 pts
238Games316Leads

Career Impact Rank places Willie Burton #2041 and Steve Henson #2244. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Steve Henson had 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.

Short-career comparisonhusseyquation.com/compare/steve-henson/willie-burton/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedSteve Henson242.460 · No. 2,244Willie Burton220.787 · No. 2,041

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.

Steve Henson

242.460 composite · No. 2,244 all-time

Steve Henson's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 1811992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1961990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1 open slot × No. 295224.00050%112.000
Best 5No. 1811992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1961990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3 open slots × No. 295252.40030%75.720
Best 10No. 1811992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1961990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate8 open slots × No. 295273.70020%54.740

112.000 + 75.720 + 54.740= 242.460

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 295, this player's stored replacement finish.

Willie Burton

220.787 composite · No. 2,041 all-time

Willie Burton's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 1611994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2211991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate202.33350%101.167
Best 5No. 1611994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2211991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2341990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2881992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate225.80030%67.740
Best 10No. 1611994–95Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2211991–92Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2251993–94Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2341990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 2881992–93Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate5 open slots × No. 293259.40020%51.880

101.167 + 67.740 + 51.880= 220.787

Open-season rule: every unfilled slot uses No. 293, 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 →

Share this comparisonChoose a social post or link-preview image.

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.

Impact: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2244#2041Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average finishAverage league place · lower is better224.0202.3Better result for this metric.
Best 5 average finishAverage league place · lower is better252.4225.8Better result for this metric.
Best 10 average finishAverage league place · lower is better273.7259.4Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#2497Better result for this metric.#4391
Peak box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better-1.4-0.8Better result for this metric.
Best 3 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailable-1.8
Best 5 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailable-2.7
Best 10 average box impactEra-adjusted points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is betterUnavailableUnavailable
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-6 ptsBetter result for this metric.-76 pts
Seasons ranked No. 100
Top-five impact seasons00
Top-ten impact seasons00

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.

Playing time and workload: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Games238316
Minutes2,2826,666

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.

Shooting: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
True shooting percentage53.2%Better result for this metric.52.6%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile52.5%52.7%Better result for this metric.
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Field-goal percentage40.3%42.4%Better result for this metric.
Three-point percentage43.2%Better result for this metric.34.5%
Free-throw percentage86.9%Better result for this metric.78.6%

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.

Passing: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile27.4%Better result for this metric.9.0%
Assists per game2.0Better result for this metric.1.2
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile18.9%15.2%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile4.3%8.5%Better result for this metric.
Rebounds per game0.72.9Better result for this metric.

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile2.2%Better result for this metric.1.4%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile0.1%1.5%Better result for this metric.

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Steve Henson and Willie Burton
MetricSteve HensonWillie Burton
Points per game3.110.3Better 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.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Willie Burton ranks higher in career impact.

Steve HensonMetricWillie Burton
#2244Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#2041Leads
-1.4Peak 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-2.7
-6 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better-76 pts

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Steve HensonMetricWillie Burton
273Listed-team regular-season wins302Leads
50.4%LeadsListed-team winning percentage48.4%
050-win team seasons2Leads
060-win team seasons0
4Playoff team seasons4

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Steve HensonMetricWillie Burton
2LeadsPlayoff appearances1
6LeadsPlayoff games2
0Team playoff wins2Leads
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.

Context

Awards

No recorded measure separates these careers.

Steve HensonMetricWillie Burton
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.

View
Align careers by
Steve HensonWillie BurtonPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.