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Player profile · CHH / DAL / DEN / MIL / SAS / SEA
Dale Ellis
Dale Ellis stats, teams and career impact
#402 all-timeCareer averages · 15.7 PPG · 3.5 RPG · 1.4 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Teams in final NBA season
- Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) · 205 lb (93 kg)
- Born
- August 6, 1960 (66 yrs old)
- College
- Tennessee
- NBA seasons
- 17 seasons · 1983–84 to 1999–00
Career summaryDale Ellis was a small forward who played 17 NBA seasons, from 1983–84 through 1999–00.
- Career PPG
- 15.7
- Career RPG
- 3.5
- Career APG
- 1.4
- #32 in 1988–89
- #402 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Dale Ellis ranks #402 all time
Dale Ellis ranks #402 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #33.7. His full-career value ranks #283, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
1,209 games · Career Value Rank #283
NBA honorsAll-Star · All-NBA · Most ImprovedContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Dale Ellis 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.
- Rudy Gay Similar career path
- Tyrone Corbin Similar career path
- Jerome Kersey Similar career path
- Paul Silas Similar career path
- Trevor Ariza Similar career path
- Otis Thorpe Similar career path
- Sam Perkins Same-era comparison
- Buck Williams Same-era comparison
- Ricky Pierce Same-era comparison
- Detlef Schrempf Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Dallas Mavericks, Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Charlotte Hornets
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 47.9%FG%
- Three-point
- 40.3%3P%
- Free throw
- 78.4%FT%
1,209 career games · 34,778 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
Dale Ellis 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 →
| 1999–00 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0.3 | -3.04 | CHH/MIL | 42 | 5 | 13.4 | 41.5% | 37.0% | 69.2% | #277 | -11.4 |
| 1998–99 | 10.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 | -0.66 | SEA | 48 | 5 | 25.7 | 44.1% | 43.3% | 75.7% | #149 | 30.8 |
| 1997–98 | 11.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | +0.79 | SEA | 79 | 0 | 24.5 | 49.7% | 46.4% | 78.2% | #86 | 101.3 |
| 1996–97 | 16.6 | 3.6 | 2.0 | -1.65 | DEN | 82 | 51 | 35.9 | 41.4% | 36.4% | 81.7% | #198 | 19.5 |
| 1995–96 | 14.9 | 3.9 | 1.7 | +0.35 | DEN | 81 | 52 | 32.4 | 47.9% | 41.2% | 76.0% | #110 | 118.4 |
| 1994–95 | 11.3 | 2.7 | 0.7 | -2.58 | DEN | 81 | 3 | 24.6 | 45.3% | 40.3% | 86.6% | #234 | -22.1 |
| 1993–94 | 15.2 | 3.3 | 1.0 | -0.29 | SAS | 77 | 75 | 33.6 | 49.4% | 39.5% | 77.6% | #132 | 83.2 |
| 1992–93 | 16.7 | 3.8 | 1.3 | -0.51 | SAS | 82 | 76 | 33.3 | 49.9% | 40.1% | 79.7% | #142 | 81.0 |
| 1991–92 | 15.7 | 3.1 | 1.3 | +0.38 | MIL | 81 | 11 | 27.0 | 46.9% | 41.9% | 77.4% | #99 | 103.9 |
| 1990–91 | 16.8 | 3.4 | 1.9 | +0.01 | MIL/SEA | 51 | 24 | 27.9 | 47.4% | 36.3% | 72.3% | #112 | 57.4 |
| 1989–90 | 23.5 | 4.3 | 2.0 | +1.70 | SEA | 55 | 49 | 37.0 | 49.7% | 37.5% | 81.8% | #46 | 149.2 |
| 1988–89 | 27.5 | 4.2 | 2.0 | +2.27 | SEA | 82 | 82 | 38.9 | 50.1% | 47.8% | 81.6% | #32 | 283.8 |
| 1987–88 | 25.8 | 4.5 | 2.6 | +2.03 | SEA | 75 | 73 | 37.2 | 50.3% | 41.3% | 76.7% | #33 | 234.6 |
| 1986–87 | 24.9 | 5.5 | 2.9 | +1.68 | SEA | 82 | 76 | 37.5 | 51.6% | 35.8% | 78.7% | #36 | 239.7 |
| 1985–86 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 0.5 | -1.55 | DAL | 72 | 1 | 15.1 | 41.1% | 36.4% | 72.0% | #166 | 10.4 |
| 1984–85 | 9.3 | 3.3 | 0.8 | -1.39 | DAL | 72 | 4 | 18.3 | 45.4% | 38.5% | 74.0% | #154 | 16.6 |
| 1983–84 | 8.2 | 3.7 | 0.8 | -2.28 | DAL | 67 | 2 | 15.8 | 45.6% | 41.4% | 71.9% | #193 | -6.1 |
| Career | 15.7 | 3.5 | 1.4 | — | CHH/DAL/DEN/MIL/SAS/SEA | 1209 | — | 28.8 | 47.9% | 40.3% | 78.4% | — | — |
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.
47.4 composite · lower is better
46.6 average league finish
1,490 total value
Career standing
How Dale Ellis 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 Score47.4
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
- 17
- All-time rank
- #402
Strongest seasons
Every season
Dale Ellis 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
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | CHH/MIL | 39 | 42 | 564 | -3.04 | 13.8 | #277 | -11.4 | 21st | Standard |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 38 | 48 | 1,232 | -0.66 | 46.4 | #149 | 30.8 | 49th | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 37 | 79 | 1,939 | +0.79 | 73.2 | #86 | 101.3 | 74th | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | DEN | 36 | 82 | 2,940 | -1.65 | 37.7 | #198 | 19.5 | 45th | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | DEN | 35 | 81 | 2,626 | +0.35 | 66.5 | #110 | 118.4 | 73rd | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | DEN | 34 | 81 | 1,996 | -2.58 | 24.6 | #234 | -22.1 | 19th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 33 | 77 | 2,590 | -0.29 | 55.0 | #132 | 83.2 | 66th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 32 | 82 | 2,731 | -0.51 | 52.2 | #142 | 81.0 | 65th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 31 | 81 | 2,191 | +0.38 | 66.1 | #99 | 103.9 | 69th | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | MIL/SEA | 30 | 51 | 1,424 | +0.01 | 61.9 | #112 | 57.4 | 57th | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 29 | 55 | 2,033 | +1.70 | 84.3 | #46 | 149.2 | 79th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 28 | 82 | 3,190 | +2.27 | 88.2 | #32 | 283.8 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 27 | 75 | 2,790 | +2.03 | 87.2 | #33 | 234.6 | 90th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 26 | 82 | 3,073 | +1.68 | 86.3 | #36 | 239.7 | 91st | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 25 | 72 | 1,086 | -1.55 | 35.0 | #166 | 10.4 | 33rd | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 24 | 72 | 1,314 | -1.39 | 39.5 | #154 | 16.6 | 39th | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 23 | 67 | 1,059 | -2.28 | 22.6 | #193 | -6.1 | 23rd | Broad |
Career movement
Dale Ellis's career impact by season
Peak +2.27 in 1988–89 · 17 seasons · 34,778 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.
Dale EllisRudy Gay
| NBA season | Dale Ellis | Rudy Gay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -2.3 | -2.8 |
| 2 | -1.4 | 0.7 |
| 3 | -1.5 | -0.9 |
| 4 | 1.7 | -0.2 |
| 5 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| 6 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| 7 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| 8 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| 9 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| 10 | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| 11 | -0.3 | 1.0 |
| 12 | -2.6 | 1.4 |
| 13 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| 14 | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| 15 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| 16 | -0.7 | -2.3 |
| 17 | -3.0 | -3.9 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Dale Ellis
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.
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93career similarity score
94/100 closest-season score · 1988–89 ↔ 1990–91SF · All-Time Career #408Jerome Kersey
93career similarity score
89/100 closest-season score · 1988–89 ↔ 1989–90Impact 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 →