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Player profile · BOS / DAL / PHO / SAS
Michael Finley
Michael Finley stats, teams and career impact
#475 all-timeCareer averages · 15.7 PPG · 4.4 RPG · 2.9 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Teams in final NBA season
- Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) · 215 lb (98 kg)
- Born
- March 6, 1973 (53 yrs old)
- College
- Wisconsin
- NBA seasons
- 15 seasons · 1995–96 to 2009–10
Career summaryMichael Finley was a small forward who played 15 NBA seasons, from 1995–96 through 2009–10.
- Career PPG
- 15.7
- Career RPG
- 4.4
- Career APG
- 2.9
- #25 in 1997–98
- #475 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Michael Finley ranks #475 all time
Michael Finley ranks #475 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #41.3. His full-career value ranks #204, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
1,103 games · Career Value Rank #204
NBA honors2× All-StarContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Michael Finley with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Michael Finley vs. Glen Rice Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Tayshaun Prince Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Mike Dunleavy Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Tobias Harris Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Byron Scott Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Antawn Jamison Similar career path
- Michael Finley vs. Antonio McDyess Same-era comparison
- Michael Finley vs. Brevin Knight Same-era comparison
- Michael Finley vs. Bobby Jackson Same-era comparison
- Michael Finley vs. Shareef Abdur-Rahim Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 44.4%FG%
- Three-point
- 37.5%3P%
- Free throw
- 81.1%FT%
1,103 career games · 37,996 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
Michael Finley 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 →
| 2009–10 | 4.4 | 1.5 | 0.9 | -1.93 | BOS/SAS | 46 | 7 | 15.4 | 44.0% | 39.0% | 53.3% | #262 | 1.0 |
| 2008–09 | 9.7 | 3.3 | 1.4 | -0.42 | SAS | 81 | 77 | 28.8 | 43.7% | 41.1% | 82.3% | #148 | 68.0 |
| 2007–08 | 10.1 | 3.1 | 1.4 | -0.70 | SAS | 82 | 61 | 26.9 | 41.4% | 37.0% | 80.0% | #169 | 53.1 |
| 2006–07 | 9.0 | 2.7 | 1.3 | +0.29 | SAS | 82 | 16 | 22.2 | 41.2% | 36.4% | 91.8% | #123 | 78.1 |
| 2005–06 | 10.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | -0.27 | SAS | 77 | 18 | 26.5 | 41.2% | 39.4% | 85.2% | #136 | 64.8 |
| 2004–05 | 15.7 | 4.1 | 2.6 | -0.32 | DAL | 64 | 64 | 36.8 | 42.7% | 40.7% | 83.1% | #150 | 76.5 |
| 2003–04 | 18.6 | 4.5 | 2.9 | +1.58 | DAL | 72 | 72 | 38.6 | 44.3% | 40.5% | 85.0% | #64 | 193.2 |
| 2002–03 | 19.3 | 5.8 | 3.0 | +0.72 | DAL | 69 | 69 | 38.3 | 42.5% | 37.0% | 86.1% | #83 | 138.5 |
| 2001–02 | 20.6 | 5.2 | 3.3 | -0.65 | DAL | 69 | 69 | 39.9 | 46.3% | 33.9% | 83.7% | #164 | 72.0 |
| 2000–01 | 21.5 | 5.2 | 4.4 | +0.53 | DAL | 82 | 82 | 42.0 | 45.8% | 34.6% | 77.5% | #93 | 169.4 |
| 1999–00 | 22.6 | 6.3 | 5.3 | +1.91 | DAL | 82 | 82 | 42.2 | 45.7% | 40.1% | 82.0% | #50 | 267.6 |
| 1998–99 | 20.2 | 5.3 | 4.4 | +2.17 | DAL | 50 | 50 | 41.0 | 44.4% | 33.1% | 82.3% | #49 | 158.5 |
| 1997–98 | 21.5 | 5.3 | 4.9 | +3.31 | DAL | 82 | 82 | 41.4 | 44.9% | 35.7% | 78.4% | #25 | 337.4 |
| 1996–97 | 15.0 | 4.5 | 2.7 | -0.06 | DAL/PHO | 83 | 54 | 33.6 | 44.4% | 36.1% | 80.8% | #121 | 101.9 |
| 1995–96 | 15.0 | 4.6 | 3.5 | -0.64 | PHO | 82 | 72 | 39.2 | 47.6% | 32.8% | 74.9% | #155 | 85.0 |
| Career | 15.7 | 4.4 | 2.9 | — | BOS/DAL/PHO/SAS | 1103 | — | 34.4 | 44.4% | 37.5% | 81.1% | — | — |
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.
54.8 composite · lower is better
54.2 average league finish
1,865 total value
Career standing
How Michael Finley 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 Score54.8
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
- 329.0
- Qualified seasons
- 15
- All-time rank
- #475
Strongest seasons
Every season
Michael Finley 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
| 2009–10Historical Defense Estimate | BOS/SAS | 36 | 46 | 709 | -1.93 | 22.3 | #262 | 1.0 | 22nd | Standard |
| 2008–09Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 35 | 81 | 2,336 | -0.42 | 55.9 | #148 | 68.0 | 60th | Broad |
| 2007–08Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 34 | 82 | 2,204 | -0.70 | 49.2 | #169 | 53.1 | 54th | Broad |
| 2006–07Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 33 | 82 | 1,823 | +0.29 | 63.5 | #123 | 78.1 | 66th | Broad |
| 2005–06Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 32 | 77 | 2,038 | -0.27 | 58.8 | #136 | 64.8 | 65th | Broad |
| 2004–05Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 31 | 64 | 2,358 | -0.32 | 56.6 | #150 | 76.5 | 66th | Broad |
| 2003–04Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 30 | 72 | 2,778 | +1.58 | 81.0 | #64 | 193.2 | 87th | Broad |
| 2002–03Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 29 | 69 | 2,642 | +0.72 | 74.2 | #83 | 138.5 | 78th | Broad |
| 2001–02Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 28 | 69 | 2,754 | -0.65 | 49.5 | #164 | 72.0 | 63rd | Broad |
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 27 | 82 | 3,443 | +0.53 | 71.9 | #93 | 169.4 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 26 | 82 | 3,464 | +1.91 | 84.7 | #50 | 267.6 | 93rd | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 25 | 50 | 2,051 | +2.17 | 82.6 | #49 | 158.5 | 90th | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | DAL | 24 | 82 | 3,394 | +3.31 | 92.4 | #25 | 337.4 | 97th | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | DAL/PHO | 23 | 83 | 2,790 | -0.06 | 62.0 | #121 | 101.9 | 72nd | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 22 | 82 | 3,212 | -0.64 | 52.6 | #155 | 85.0 | 67th | Broad |
Career movement
Michael Finley's career impact by season
Peak +3.31 in 1997–98 · 15 seasons · 37,996 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.
Michael FinleyGlen Rice
| NBA season | Michael Finley | Glen Rice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -0.6 | -2.2 |
| 2 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| 3 | 3.3 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 2.2 | -0.2 |
| 5 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| 6 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| 7 | -0.6 | 1.0 |
| 8 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| 9 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| 10 | -0.3 | -1.1 |
| 11 | -0.3 | 0.7 |
| 12 | 0.3 | -0.9 |
| 13 | -0.7 | -4.5 |
| 14 | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| 15 | -1.9 | -6.4 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Michael Finley
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 #488
Glen Rice
93career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 1997–98 ↔ 1994–95SF · All-Time Career #511Tayshaun Prince
93career similarity score
93/100 closest-season score · 1997–98 ↔ 2004–05SF · All-Time Career #532Mike Dunleavy
92career similarity score
87/100 closest-season score · 1997–98 ↔ 2007–08Impact 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 →