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Player profile · DEN / LAC / LAL / MIL / POR / SEA
Ruben Patterson
Ruben Patterson stats, teams and career impact
#745 all-timeCareer averages · 10.7 PPG · 4.2 RPG · 1.8 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Final NBA team
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) · 224 lb (102 kg)
- Born
- July 31, 1975 (51 yrs old)
- College
- Cincinnati
- NBA seasons
- 10 seasons · 1998–99 to 2007–08
Career summaryRuben Patterson was a small forward who played 10 NBA seasons, from 1998–99 through 2007–08.
- Career PPG
- 10.7
- Career RPG
- 4.2
- Career APG
- 1.8
- #46 in 1999–00
- #745 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Ruben Patterson ranks #745 all time
Ruben Patterson ranks #745 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #51.7. His full-career value ranks #567, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
649 games · Career Value Rank #567
Head to head
Compare Ruben Patterson with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Ruben Patterson vs. Willie Naulls Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Robert Covington Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Jeremy Lamb Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Mario Elie Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Buddy Hield Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Jim Brewer Similar career path
- Ruben Patterson vs. Bonzi Wells Same-era comparison
- Ruben Patterson vs. Raef LaFrentz Same-era comparison
- Ruben Patterson vs. Derek Anderson Same-era comparison
- Ruben Patterson vs. Wally Szczerbiak Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Clippers
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 51.7%FG%
- Three-point
- 17.9%3P%
- Free throw
- 64.1%FT%
649 career games · 15,955 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
Ruben Patterson 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 →
| 2007–08 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 0.8 | -2.91 | LAC | 20 | 5 | 16.4 | 45.3% | 0.0% | 55.8% | — | -5.7 |
| 2006–07 | 14.7 | 5.4 | 2.9 | +1.13 | MIL | 81 | 53 | 31.0 | 54.8% | 15.8% | 64.1% | #79 | 150.8 |
| 2005–06 | 12.1 | 3.4 | 1.8 | -0.22 | DEN/POR | 71 | 22 | 25.2 | 51.5% | 7.7% | 60.1% | #131 | 59.9 |
| 2004–05 | 11.6 | 3.9 | 2.0 | +0.22 | POR | 70 | 36 | 28.0 | 53.1% | 8.0% | 59.9% | #128 | 81.3 |
| 2003–04 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 1.9 | +0.15 | POR | 73 | 1 | 22.6 | 50.6% | 16.7% | 55.3% | #117 | 63.8 |
| 2002–03 | 8.3 | 3.4 | 1.3 | -1.09 | POR | 78 | 17 | 21.2 | 49.2% | 15.0% | 62.7% | #173 | 28.1 |
| 2001–02 | 11.2 | 4.0 | 1.4 | +1.88 | POR | 75 | 13 | 23.5 | 51.5% | 25.0% | 70.1% | #50 | 127.5 |
| 2000–01 | 13.0 | 5.0 | 2.1 | +1.51 | SEA | 76 | 22 | 27.1 | 49.4% | 5.6% | 68.1% | #59 | 137.9 |
| 1999–00 | 11.6 | 5.4 | 1.6 | +1.99 | SEA | 81 | 74 | 25.9 | 53.6% | 44.4% | 69.2% | #46 | 162.9 |
| 1998–99 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.1 | -7.35 | LAL | 24 | 2 | 6.0 | 41.2% | 16.7% | 71.0% | — | -14.7 |
| Career | 10.7 | 4.2 | 1.8 | — | DEN/LAC/LAL/MIL/POR/SEA | 649 | — | 24.6 | 51.7% | 17.9% | 64.1% | — | — |
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.
75.7 composite · lower is better
70.2 average league finish
792 total value
Career standing
How Ruben Patterson 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 Score75.7
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
- 329.5
- Qualified seasons
- 8
- All-time rank
- #745
Strongest seasons
Every season
Ruben Patterson 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
| 2007–08Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 32 | 20 | 327 | -2.91 | — | — | -5.7 | — | Limited |
| 2006–07Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 31 | 81 | 2,508 | +1.13 | 76.6 | #79 | 150.8 | 83rd | Broad |
| 2005–06Historical Defense Estimate | DEN/POR | 30 | 71 | 1,792 | -0.22 | 60.4 | #131 | 59.9 | 62nd | Broad |
| 2004–05Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 29 | 70 | 1,957 | +0.22 | 63.0 | #128 | 81.3 | 67th | Broad |
| 2003–04Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 28 | 73 | 1,651 | +0.15 | 65.0 | #117 | 63.8 | 64th | Broad |
| 2002–03Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 27 | 78 | 1,655 | -1.09 | 45.9 | #173 | 28.1 | 47th | Broad |
| 2001–02Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 26 | 75 | 1,765 | +1.88 | 84.8 | #50 | 127.5 | 79th | Broad |
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 25 | 76 | 2,059 | +1.51 | 82.3 | #59 | 137.9 | 80th | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | SEA | 24 | 81 | 2,097 | +1.99 | 85.9 | #46 | 162.9 | 83rd | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 23 | 24 | 144 | -7.35 | — | — | -14.7 | — | Limited |
Career movement
Ruben Patterson's career impact by season
Peak +1.99 in 1999–00 · 10 seasons · 15,955 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.
Ruben PattersonWillie Naulls
| NBA season | Ruben Patterson | Willie Naulls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -7.4 | -1.6 |
| 2 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| 3 | 1.5 | -0.4 |
| 4 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| 5 | -1.1 | 1.8 |
| 6 | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| 7 | 0.2 | -0.7 |
| 8 | -0.2 | -0.0 |
| 9 | 1.1 | -1.4 |
| 10 | -2.9 | -1.5 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Ruben Patterson
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 #149
Willie Naulls
92career similarity score
96/100 closest-season score · 1999–00 ↔ 1959–60SF · All-Time Career #650Robert Covington
92career similarity score
96/100 closest-season score · 1999–00 ↔ 2014–15SG · All-Time Career #912Jeremy Lamb
92career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1999–00 ↔ 2017–18Impact 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 →