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Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell stats, teams and career impact
#255 all-timeCareer averages · 15.7 PPG · 3.2 RPG · 6.0 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Point guard
- Teams in final NBA season
- Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) · 185 lb (84 kg)
- Born
- November 18, 1969 (56 yrs old)
- College
- Florida State
- NBA seasons
- 15 seasons · 1993–94 to 2007–08
Career summarySam Cassell was a point guard who played 15 NBA seasons, from 1993–94 through 2007–08.
- Career PPG
- 15.7
- Career RPG
- 3.2
- Career APG
- 6.0
- #10 in 2003–04
- #255 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Sam Cassell ranks #255 all time
Sam Cassell ranks #255 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #26.3. His full-career value ranks #164, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
993 games · Career Value Rank #164
NBA honorsAll-Star · All-NBAContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Sam Cassell with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Sam Cassell vs. Lenny Wilkens Similar career path
- Sam Cassell vs. Jeff Hornacek Similar career path
- Sam Cassell vs. Rajon Rondo Similar career path
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- Sam Cassell vs. Derek Harper Similar career path
- Sam Cassell vs. Maurice Cheeks Similar career path
- Sam Cassell vs. Bo Outlaw Same-era comparison
- Sam Cassell vs. Robert Horry Same-era comparison
- Sam Cassell vs. Alonzo Mourning Same-era comparison
- Sam Cassell vs. Donyell Marshall Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 45.4%FG%
- Three-point
- 33.1%3P%
- Free throw
- 86.1%FT%
993 career games · 29,812 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
Sam Cassell 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 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | 11.2 | 2.5 | 3.9 | -0.32 | BOS/LAC | 55 | 34 | 23.2 | 43.8% | 30.3% | 88.2% | #148 | 41.0 |
| 2006–07 | 12.3 | 2.9 | 4.7 | +0.53 | LAC | 58 | 30 | 24.3 | 41.8% | 29.4% | 87.9% | #112 | 67.4 |
| 2005–06 | 17.2 | 3.7 | 6.3 | +1.36 | LAC | 78 | 75 | 34.0 | 44.3% | 36.8% | 86.3% | #65 | 170.5 |
| 2004–05 | 13.5 | 2.7 | 5.1 | +1.33 | MIN | 59 | 38 | 25.8 | 46.4% | 26.2% | 86.5% | #72 | 94.2 |
| 2003–04 | 19.8 | 3.3 | 7.3 | +4.20 | MIN | 81 | 81 | 35.0 | 48.8% | 39.8% | 87.3% | #10 | 326.4 |
| 2002–03 | 19.7 | 4.4 | 5.8 | +2.85 | MIL | 78 | 77 | 34.6 | 47.0% | 36.2% | 86.1% | #34 | 246.7 |
| 2001–02 | 19.7 | 4.2 | 6.7 | +2.57 | MIL | 74 | 73 | 35.2 | 46.3% | 34.8% | 86.0% | #35 | 223.7 |
| 2000–01 | 18.2 | 3.8 | 7.6 | +0.99 | MIL | 76 | 75 | 35.6 | 47.4% | 30.6% | 85.8% | #72 | 155.2 |
| 1999–00 | 18.6 | 3.7 | 9.0 | +1.65 | MIL | 81 | 81 | 35.8 | 46.6% | 28.9% | 87.6% | #56 | 204.2 |
| 1998–99 | 15.9 | 1.9 | 4.5 | -0.61 | MIL/NJN | 8 | 3 | 24.9 | 41.9% | 20.0% | 94.0% | — | 5.2 |
| 1997–98 | 19.6 | 3.0 | 8.0 | +3.00 | NJN | 75 | 72 | 34.7 | 44.1% | 18.8% | 86.0% | #35 | 246.9 |
| 1996–97 | 15.9 | 3.0 | 5.0 | +2.52 | DAL/NJN/PHO | 61 | 44 | 28.1 | 43.0% | 35.1% | 84.5% | #43 | 148.1 |
| 1995–96 | 14.5 | 3.1 | 4.6 | +0.36 | HOU | 61 | 0 | 27.6 | 43.9% | 34.8% | 82.5% | #109 | 77.2 |
| 1994–95 | 9.5 | 2.6 | 4.9 | +0.60 | HOU | 82 | 1 | 23.0 | 42.7% | 33.0% | 84.3% | #100 | 96.2 |
| 1993–94 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 2.9 | -0.86 | HOU | 66 | 6 | 17.0 | 41.8% | 29.5% | 84.1% | #148 | 25.3 |
| Career | 15.7 | 3.2 | 6.0 | — | BOS/DAL/HOU/LAC/MIL/MIN/NJN/PHO | 993 | — | 30.0 | 45.4% | 33.1% | 86.1% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Sam Cassell 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.
Skill compilation
Sam Cassell's midrange game
Sam Cassell's skill compilation adds visual context to the numbers on this page, especially his footwork, pull-up jumper and control of late-clock possessions. 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.
33.0 composite · lower is better
31.4 average league finish
2,128 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 Sam Cassell 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 Score33.0
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
- 326.0
- Qualified seasons
- 14
- All-time rank
- #255
Strongest seasons
Every season
Sam Cassell 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 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08Historical Defense Estimate | BOS/LAC | 38 | 55 | 1,274 | -0.32 | 55.6 | #148 | 41.0 | 48th | Broad |
| 2006–07Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 37 | 58 | 1,407 | +0.53 | 66.8 | #112 | 67.4 | 61st | Broad |
| 2005–06Historical Defense Estimate | LAC | 36 | 78 | 2,653 | +1.36 | 80.5 | #65 | 170.5 | 84th | Broad |
| 2004–05Historical Defense Estimate | MIN | 35 | 59 | 1,522 | +1.33 | 79.3 | #72 | 94.2 | 71st | Broad |
| 2003–04Historical Defense Estimate | MIN | 34 | 81 | 2,838 | +4.20 | 97.3 | #10 | 326.4 | 96th | Broad |
| 2002–03Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 33 | 78 | 2,700 | +2.85 | 89.6 | #34 | 246.7 | 92nd | Broad |
| 2001–02Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 32 | 74 | 2,605 | +2.57 | 89.5 | #35 | 223.7 | 90th | Broad |
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 31 | 76 | 2,709 | +0.99 | 78.3 | #72 | 155.2 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | MIL | 30 | 81 | 2,899 | +1.65 | 82.8 | #56 | 204.2 | 89th | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | MIL/NJN | 29 | 8 | 199 | -0.61 | — | — | 5.2 | — | Limited |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | NJN | 28 | 75 | 2,606 | +3.00 | 89.3 | #35 | 246.9 | 93rd | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | DAL/NJN/PHO | 27 | 61 | 1,714 | +2.52 | 86.7 | #43 | 148.1 | 80th | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 26 | 61 | 1,682 | +0.36 | 66.8 | #109 | 77.2 | 64th | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 25 | 82 | 1,882 | +0.60 | 68.0 | #100 | 96.2 | 72nd | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 24 | 66 | 1,122 | -0.86 | 49.5 | #148 | 25.3 | 43rd | Broad |
Career movement
Sam Cassell's box impact by season
Peak box impact +4.20 points per 100 possessions in 2003–04 · 15 seasons · 29,812 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.
Sam CassellLenny Wilkens
| NBA season | Sam Cassell | Lenny Wilkens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -0.9 | 1.0 |
| 2 | 0.6 | -0.9 |
| 3 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| 4 | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| 5 | 3.0 | 0.8 |
| 6 | -0.6 | 0.8 |
| 7 | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| 8 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
| 9 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| 10 | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| 11 | 4.2 | 1.4 |
| 12 | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| 13 | 1.4 | 3.2 |
| 14 | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| 15 | -0.3 | 1.5 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Sam Cassell
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.
PG · All-Time Career #81
Lenny Wilkens
91career similarity score
94/100 closest-season score · 2003–04 ↔ 1972–73SG · All-Time Career #186Jeff Hornacek
91career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 2003–04 ↔ 1995–96PG · All-Time Career #303Rajon Rondo
91career similarity score
81/100 closest-season score · 2003–04 ↔ 2015–16Impact 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 →