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Adrian Dantley
Adrian Dantley stats, teams and career impact
#57 all-timeCareer averages · 24.3 PPG · 5.7 RPG · 3.0 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Final NBA team
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) · 208 lb (94 kg)
- Born
- February 28, 1955 (71 yrs old)
- College
- Notre Dame
- NBA seasons
- 15 seasons · 1976–77 to 1990–91
Career summaryAdrian Dantley was a small forward who played 15 NBA seasons, from 1976–77 through 1990–91.
- Career PPG
- 24.3
- Career RPG
- 5.7
- Career APG
- 3.0
- #4 in 1985–86
- #57 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Adrian Dantley ranks #57 all time
Adrian Dantley ranks #57 all time. 4 top-ten finishes give him a sustained run near the top of the league. His full-career value ranks #64, making peak performance the stronger part of his case.
4 top-ten finishes
955 games · Career Value Rank #64
NBA honors6× All-Star · 2× All-NBA · ROYContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Adrian Dantley with…
Ten suggested matchups, selected from familiar debates, similar careers, and players from the same era. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Dominique Wilkins Similar career path
- Shawn Marion Similar career path
- Eddie Jones Similar career path
- Alex English Similar career path
- Allen Iverson Similar career path
- Toni Kukoč Similar career path
- Jack Sikma Same-era comparison
- Alvan Adams Same-era comparison
- Sidney Moncrief Same-era comparison
- Maurice Cheeks Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, and Milwaukee Bucks
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 54.0%FG%
- Three-point
- 17.1%3P%
- Free throw
- 81.8%FT%
955 career games · 34,151 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Adrian Dantley stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1990–91 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | -7.00 | MIL | 10 | 0 | 12.6 | 38.0% | 33.3% | 69.2% | — | -12.6 |
| 1989–90 | 14.7 | 3.8 | 1.8 | -1.53 | DAL | 45 | 45 | 28.9 | 47.7% | 0.0% | 78.7% | #182 | 12.0 |
| 1988–89 | 19.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | -0.47 | DAL/DET | 73 | 67 | 33.2 | 49.3% | 0.0% | 81.0% | #120 | 73.9 |
| 1987–88 | 20.0 | 3.3 | 2.5 | +1.37 | DET | 69 | 50 | 31.1 | 51.4% | 0.0% | 86.0% | #46 | 147.9 |
| 1986–87 | 21.5 | 4.1 | 2.0 | +0.48 | DET | 81 | 81 | 33.8 | 53.4% | 16.7% | 81.2% | #77 | 142.7 |
| 1985–86 | 29.8 | 5.2 | 3.5 | +5.33 | UTA | 76 | 75 | 36.1 | 56.3% | 9.1% | 79.1% | #4 | 432.6 |
| 1984–85 | 26.6 | 5.9 | 3.4 | +4.17 | UTA | 55 | 46 | 35.8 | 53.1% | — | 80.4% | #14 | 266.3 |
| 1983–84 | 30.6 | 5.7 | 3.9 | +4.23 | UTA | 79 | 79 | 37.8 | 55.8% | 25.0% | 85.9% | #7 | 406.1 |
| 1982–83 | 30.7 | 6.4 | 4.8 | +5.12 | UTA | 22 | 22 | 40.3 | 58.0% | — | 84.7% | #5 | 141.2 |
| 1981–82 | 30.3 | 6.3 | 4.0 | +4.16 | UTA | 81 | 81 | 39.8 | 57.0% | 33.3% | 79.2% | #13 | 429.7 |
| 1980–81 | 30.6 | 6.4 | 4.0 | +4.47 | UTA | 80 | 0 | 42.7 | 55.9% | 28.6% | 80.6% | #7 | 450.1 |
| 1979–80 | 28.0 | 7.6 | 2.8 | +3.59 | UTA | 68 | 0 | 39.3 | 57.6% | 0.0% | 84.2% | #13 | 303.8 |
| 1978–79 | 17.3 | 5.7 | 2.3 | +0.35 | LAL | 60 | 0 | 29.6 | 51.0% | — | 85.4% | #76 | 91.9 |
| 1977–78 | 21.5 | 7.8 | 3.2 | +3.22 | IND/LAL | 79 | 23 | 37.1 | 51.2% | — | 79.6% | #16 | 340.8 |
| 1976–77 | 20.3 | 7.6 | 1.9 | +1.66 | BUF | 77 | 76 | 36.6 | 52.0% | — | 81.8% | #33 | 230.3 |
| Career | 24.3 | 5.7 | 3.0 | — | BUF/DAL/DET/IND/LAL/MIL/UTA | 955 | — | 35.8 | 54.0% | 17.1% | 81.8% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
8.0 composite · lower is better
7.2 average league finish
3,457 total value
Career standing
How Adrian Dantley ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score8.0
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- —
- Qualified seasons
- 14
- All-time rank
- #57
Strongest seasons
Every season
Adrian Dantley advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 35 | 10 | 126 | -7.00 | — | — | -12.6 | — | Limited |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 34 | 45 | 1,300 | -1.53 | 36.9 | #182 | 12.0 | 38th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | DAL/DET | 33 | 73 | 2,422 | -0.47 | 54.8 | #120 | 73.9 | 59th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | DET | 32 | 69 | 2,144 | +1.37 | 82.0 | #46 | 147.9 | 81st | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | DET | 31 | 81 | 2,736 | +0.48 | 70.3 | #77 | 142.7 | 77th | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 30 | 76 | 2,744 | +5.33 | 98.8 | #4 | 432.6 | 99th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 29 | 55 | 1,971 | +4.17 | 94.9 | #14 | 266.3 | 91st | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 28 | 79 | 2,984 | +4.23 | 97.6 | #7 | 406.1 | 98th | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 27 | 22 | 887 | +5.12 | 98.4 | #5 | 141.2 | 77th | Standard |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 26 | 81 | 3,222 | +4.16 | 95.3 | #13 | 429.7 | 98th | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 25 | 80 | 3,417 | +4.47 | 97.6 | #7 | 450.1 | 99th | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | UTA | 24 | 68 | 2,674 | +3.59 | 94.8 | #13 | 303.8 | 94th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 23 | 60 | 1,775 | +0.35 | 67.0 | #76 | 91.9 | 64th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | IND/LAL | 22 | 79 | 2,933 | +3.22 | 93.6 | #16 | 340.8 | 94th | Broad |
| 1976–77Historical Defense Estimate | BUF | 21 | 77 | 2,816 | +1.66 | 86.8 | #33 | 230.3 | 91st | Broad |
Career movement
Adrian Dantley's career impact by season
Peak +5.33 in 1985–86 · 15 seasons · 34,151 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Adrian DantleyDominique Wilkins
| NBA season | Adrian Dantley | Dominique Wilkins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
| 2 | 3.2 | 1.4 |
| 3 | 0.3 | 2.2 |
| 4 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
| 5 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| 6 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| 7 | 5.1 | 2.6 |
| 8 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| 9 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| 10 | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| 11 | 0.5 | 5.6 |
| 12 | 1.4 | 3.2 |
| 13 | -0.5 | -0.7 |
| 14 | -1.5 | 1.6 |
| 15 | -7.0 | -4.0 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Adrian Dantley
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
SF · All-Time Career #88
Dominique Wilkins
92career similarity score
93/100 closest-season score · 1985–86 ↔ 1989–90SF · All-Time Career #113Shawn Marion
91career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 1985–86 ↔ 2006–07SG · All-Time Career #90Eddie Jones
91career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1985–86 ↔ 1999–00Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →