Best league finish
Menu
Player profile · ATL / BOS / DEN / PHO / SEA / STL
Paul Silas
Paul Silas stats, teams and career impact
#212 all-timeCareer averages · 9.4 PPG · 9.9 RPG · 2.1 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Power forward
- Final NBA team
- Seattle SuperSonics
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) · 220 lb (100 kg)
- Born
- July 12, 1943
- Died
- December 10, 2022 (79 yrs old)
- College
- Creighton
- NBA seasons
- 16 seasons · 1964–65 to 1979–80
Career summaryPaul Silas was a power forward who played 16 NBA seasons, from 1964–65 through 1979–80.
- Career PPG
- 9.4
- Career RPG
- 9.9
- Career APG
- 2.1
- #15 in 1972–73
- #212 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Paul Silas ranks #212 all time
Paul Silas ranks #212 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #21.3. His full-career value ranks #215 across 16 seasons. Career Impact Rank averages his best three, five, and ten season ranks, with the most weight on his peak.
450+ minutes required per season
1,254 games · Career Value Rank #215
NBA honors2× All-Star · 5× All-DefenseContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Paul Silas 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.
- Antawn Jamison Similar career path
- Marvin Williams Similar career path
- P.J. Brown Similar career path
- Zach Randolph Similar career path
- Tobias Harris Similar career path
- Antonio McDyess Similar career path
- Gail Goodrich Same-era comparison
- Lou Hudson Same-era comparison
- Dave Bing Same-era comparison
- Earl Monroe Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- St. Louis Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Seattle SuperSonics
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 43.2%FG%
- Three-point
- —3P%
- Free throw
- 67.3%FT%
1,254 career games · 34,989 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
Paul Silas 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 →
| 1979–80 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 0.8 | -2.47 | SEA | 82 | 0 | 19.5 | 37.8% | — | 65.4% | #190 | -16.0 |
| 1978–79 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 1.4 | -0.78 | SEA | 82 | 0 | 23.9 | 42.3% | — | 59.8% | #127 | 51.5 |
| 1977–78 | 5.8 | 8.1 | 1.8 | -0.65 | SEA | 82 | 0 | 26.5 | 39.7% | — | 58.6% | #118 | 64.0 |
| 1976–77 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 1.6 | -2.02 | DEN | 81 | 0 | 24.2 | 36.0% | — | 66.7% | #184 | -1.1 |
| 1975–76 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 2.5 | +0.99 | BOS | 81 | 0 | 32.9 | 42.6% | — | 70.9% | #47 | 177.1 |
| 1974–75 | 10.6 | 12.5 | 2.7 | +0.69 | BOS | 82 | 0 | 32.5 | 41.7% | — | 70.9% | #55 | 158.0 |
| 1973–74 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 2.3 | +0.54 | BOS | 82 | 0 | 31.7 | 44.0% | — | 78.3% | #52 | 151.0 |
| 1972–73 | 13.3 | 13.0 | 3.1 | +2.77 | BOS | 80 | 0 | 32.7 | 47.0% | — | 70.0% | #15 | 298.1 |
| 1971–72 | 17.5 | 11.9 | 4.3 | +2.54 | PHO | 80 | 0 | 38.5 | 47.0% | — | 77.3% | #16 | 331.5 |
| 1970–71 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 3.0 | +0.99 | PHO | 81 | 0 | 36.3 | 42.8% | — | 68.5% | #33 | 211.5 |
| 1969–70 | 12.8 | 11.7 | 2.7 | -0.45 | PHO | 78 | 0 | 36.4 | 46.4% | — | 60.7% | #65 | 106.6 |
| 1968–69 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 1.8 | +0.02 | ATL | 79 | 0 | 23.5 | 41.9% | — | 61.3% | #51 | 88.9 |
| 1967–68 | 13.4 | 11.7 | 2.0 | +0.74 | STL | 82 | 0 | 32.3 | 45.8% | — | 70.5% | #35 | 172.4 |
| 1966–67 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 1.0 | -1.60 | STL | 77 | 0 | 20.4 | 42.9% | — | 53.1% | #68 | 15.6 |
| 1965–66 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 0.5 | -2.10 | STL | 46 | 0 | 12.7 | 40.5% | — | 57.4% | #73 | -1.4 |
| 1964–65 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 0.6 | -2.20 | STL | 79 | 0 | 15.7 | 37.3% | — | 50.6% | #69 | -5.9 |
| Career | 9.4 | 9.9 | 2.1 | — | ATL/BOS/DEN/PHO/SEA/STL | 1254 | — | 27.9 | 43.2% | — | 67.3% | — | — |
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.
28.2 composite · lower is better
29.2 average league finish
1,802 total value
Career standing
How Paul Silas 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 Score28.2
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
- 16
- All-time rank
- #212
Strongest seasons
Every season
Paul Silas 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
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 36 | 82 | 1,595 | -2.47 | 18.2 | #190 | -16.0 | 17th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 35 | 82 | 1,957 | -0.78 | 44.5 | #127 | 51.5 | 48th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 34 | 82 | 2,172 | -0.65 | 50.4 | #118 | 64.0 | 56th | Broad |
| 1976–77Historical Defense Estimate | DEN | 33 | 81 | 1,959 | -2.02 | 24.7 | #184 | -1.1 | 25th | Broad |
| 1975–76Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 32 | 81 | 2,662 | +0.99 | 75.5 | #47 | 177.1 | 80th | Broad |
| 1974–75Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 31 | 82 | 2,661 | +0.69 | 71.1 | #55 | 158.0 | 80th | Broad |
| 1973–74Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 30 | 82 | 2,599 | +0.54 | 71.0 | #52 | 151.0 | 78th | Broad |
| 1972–73Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 29 | 80 | 2,618 | +2.77 | 91.9 | #15 | 298.1 | 92nd | Modeled |
| 1971–72Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 28 | 80 | 3,082 | +2.54 | 90.9 | #16 | 331.5 | 92nd | Modeled |
| 1970–71Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 27 | 81 | 2,944 | +0.99 | 80.8 | #33 | 211.5 | 83rd | Modeled |
| 1969–70Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 26 | 78 | 2,836 | -0.45 | 54.6 | #65 | 106.6 | 64th | Modeled |
| 1968–69Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 25 | 79 | 1,853 | +0.02 | 62.4 | #51 | 88.9 | 57th | Modeled |
| 1967–68Historical Defense Estimate | STL | 24 | 82 | 2,652 | +0.74 | 71.7 | #35 | 172.4 | 77th | Modeled |
| 1966–67Historical Defense Estimate | STL | 23 | 77 | 1,570 | -1.60 | 33.0 | #68 | 15.6 | 35th | Modeled |
| 1965–66Historical Defense Estimate | STL | 22 | 46 | 586 | -2.10 | 22.6 | #73 | -1.4 | 23rd | Modeled |
| 1964–65Historical Defense Estimate | STL | 21 | 79 | 1,243 | -2.20 | 23.6 | #69 | -5.9 | 24th | Modeled |
Career movement
Paul Silas's career impact by season
Peak +2.77 in 1972–73 · 16 seasons · 34,989 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 impactMinutesModeled estimate
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.
Paul SilasAntawn Jamison
| NBA season | Paul Silas | Antawn Jamison |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -2.2 | 0.1 |
| 2 | -2.1 | -0.5 |
| 3 | -1.6 | 2.4 |
| 4 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 5 | 0.0 | -0.0 |
| 6 | -0.5 | 1.2 |
| 7 | 1.0 | -0.4 |
| 8 | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| 9 | 2.8 | 1.3 |
| 10 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| 11 | 0.7 | 2.5 |
| 12 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| 13 | -2.0 | 1.0 |
| 14 | -0.7 | 0.3 |
| 15 | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| 16 | -2.5 | -6.9 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Paul Silas
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.
PF · All-Time Career #486
Antawn Jamison
93career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 2006–07PF · All-Time Career #722Marvin Williams
93career similarity score
96/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 2015–16PF · All-Time Career #620P.J. Brown
93career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 2002–03Impact 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 →