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Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell stats, teams and career impact
#270 all-timeCareer averages · 12.5 PPG · 6.3 RPG · 2.2 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Final NBA team
- Houston Rockets
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) · 205 lb (93 kg)
- Born
- November 21, 1955 (70 yrs old)
- College
- UNC Charlotte
- NBA seasons
- 11 seasons · 1977–78 to 1987–88
Career summaryCedric Maxwell was a small forward who played 11 NBA seasons, from 1977–78 through 1987–88.
- Career PPG
- 12.5
- Career RPG
- 6.3
- Career APG
- 2.2
- #17 in 1978–79
- #270 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Cedric Maxwell ranks #270 all time
Cedric Maxwell ranks #270 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #24.7. His full-career value ranks #255, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
835 games · Career Value Rank #255
Head to head
Compare Cedric Maxwell with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Cedric Maxwell vs. Jack Twyman Similar career path
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- Cedric Maxwell vs. James Worthy Similar career path
- Cedric Maxwell vs. Shareef Abdur-Rahim Similar career path
- Cedric Maxwell vs. Greg Ballard Same-era comparison
- Cedric Maxwell vs. Dan Roundfield Same-era comparison
- Cedric Maxwell vs. Ray Williams Same-era comparison
- Cedric Maxwell vs. World B. Free Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and Houston Rockets
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 54.6%FG%
- Three-point
- 5.3%3P%
- Free throw
- 78.4%FT%
835 career games · 23,769 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
Cedric Maxwell 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.
Box impact is an estimate in points per 100 possessions, not the 0–100 Impact Rate score. Zero is league average; higher is better. Rate rank is a league place: No. 1 is best.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Box impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| pts/100 · higher is better | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 0.8 | -0.56 | HOU | 71 | 0 | 11.9 | 46.8% | 0.0% | 76.9% | #122 | 25.9 |
| 1986–87 | 10.0 | 5.4 | 2.4 | +0.98 | HOU/LAC | 81 | 31 | 24.3 | 53.0% | 0.0% | 77.5% | #56 | 124.1 |
| 1985–86 | 14.1 | 8.2 | 2.8 | -0.16 | LAC | 76 | 72 | 32.3 | 47.5% | 0.0% | 79.5% | #116 | 96.8 |
| 1984–85 | 11.1 | 4.2 | 1.8 | -0.45 | BOS | 57 | 51 | 26.2 | 53.3% | 0.0% | 83.1% | #121 | 49.0 |
| 1983–84 | 11.9 | 5.8 | 2.6 | -0.43 | BOS | 80 | 78 | 31.3 | 53.2% | 16.7% | 75.3% | #117 | 81.6 |
| 1982–83 | 11.9 | 5.3 | 2.4 | +0.49 | BOS | 79 | 71 | 28.5 | 49.9% | 0.0% | 81.2% | #78 | 121.6 |
| 1981–82 | 14.8 | 6.4 | 2.3 | +1.30 | BOS | 78 | 73 | 33.2 | 54.8% | 0.0% | 74.7% | #48 | 180.8 |
| 1980–81 | 15.2 | 6.5 | 2.7 | +2.32 | BOS | 81 | 81 | 33.7 | 58.8% | 0.0% | 78.2% | #28 | 247.5 |
| 1979–80 | 16.9 | 8.8 | 2.5 | +2.34 | BOS | 80 | 80 | 34.3 | 60.9% | — | 78.7% | #29 | 254.3 |
| 1978–79 | 19.0 | 9.9 | 2.9 | +2.81 | BOS | 80 | 60 | 37.1 | 58.4% | — | 80.2% | #17 | 316.8 |
| 1977–78 | 7.3 | 5.3 | 0.9 | +1.81 | BOS | 72 | 23 | 16.8 | 53.8% | — | 75.2% | #34 | 102.0 |
| Career | 12.5 | 6.3 | 2.2 | — | BOS/HOU/LAC | 835 | — | 28.5 | 54.6% | 5.3% | 78.4% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Cedric Maxwell highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Finals archive
Cedric Maxwell in the 1981 NBA Finals
Cedric Maxwell's finals archive adds visual context to the numbers on this page, especially his interior scoring, rebounding and defense during a Finals MVP run. The vetted footage complements the season tables and impact model.
What these measures mean
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average, from the historical box-score model. Zero is league average; higher is better. Historical defense estimates are included where labeled. This is not the live model's lineup-adjusted estimate.
- Impact Rate
- A 0–100 score comparing performance within one season. Higher is better. This is a score, not points per possession.
- Impact estimate
- The season model's final estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, before conversion to the 0–100 Impact Rate score. It includes lineup evidence where available. Zero is league average; higher is better.
- Impact Rate rank
- The player's place among qualified players in that season's Impact Rate ranking. No. 1 is best. This is a rank, not an impact score.
- 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.
34.6 composite · lower is better
31.2 average league finish
1,600 total value
- Impact Rate
- 0–100 score within one season. Higher is better.
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, from the historical model. Zero is average; higher is better.
Career standing
How Cedric Maxwell 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 Score34.6
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
- 252.0
- Qualified seasons
- 11
- All-time rank
- #270
Strongest seasons
Every season
Cedric Maxwell 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
| pts/100 · higher is better | 0–100 · higher is better | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 32 | 71 | 848 | -0.56 | 51.6 | #122 | 25.9 | 42nd | Standard |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | HOU/LAC | 31 | 81 | 1,968 | +0.98 | 78.5 | #56 | 124.1 | 73rd | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 30 | 76 | 2,458 | -0.16 | 54.7 | #116 | 96.8 | 65th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 29 | 57 | 1,495 | -0.45 | 52.6 | #121 | 49.0 | 50th | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 28 | 80 | 2,502 | -0.43 | 53.2 | #117 | 81.6 | 58th | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 27 | 79 | 2,252 | +0.49 | 69.6 | #78 | 121.6 | 74th | Broad |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 26 | 78 | 2,590 | +1.30 | 81.5 | #48 | 180.8 | 86th | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 25 | 81 | 2,730 | +2.32 | 89.1 | #28 | 247.5 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 24 | 80 | 2,744 | +2.34 | 87.9 | #29 | 254.3 | 90th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 23 | 80 | 2,969 | +2.81 | 93.0 | #17 | 316.8 | 96th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 22 | 72 | 1,213 | +1.81 | 86.0 | #34 | 102.0 | 68th | Broad |
Career movement
Cedric Maxwell's box impact by season
Peak box impact +2.81 points per 100 possessions in 1978–79 · 11 seasons · 23,769 minutes
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Rank labels show Impact Rate league places, not ranks on this chart's box-impact scale.
Box impact · points per 100 possessionsMinutes
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.
Cedric MaxwellJack Twyman
| NBA season | Cedric Maxwell | Jack Twyman |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| 2 | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| 3 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| 4 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| 5 | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| 6 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| 7 | -0.4 | 0.4 |
| 8 | -0.5 | 1.0 |
| 9 | -0.2 | -1.3 |
| 10 | 1.0 | -1.4 |
| 11 | -0.6 | -1.8 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Cedric Maxwell
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 #85
Jack Twyman
95career similarity score
95/100 closest-season score · 1978–79 ↔ 1958–59SF · All-Time Career #383Terry Tyler
94career similarity score
93/100 closest-season score · 1978–79 ↔ 1980–81SF · All-Time Career #356Chris Morris
93career similarity score
91/100 closest-season score · 1978–79 ↔ 1990–91Impact 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 →