Best league finish
Menu
Player profile · ATL / CHA / MIA / NOH / POR / SAS
Steve Smith
Steve Smith stats, teams and career impact
#462 all-timeCareer averages · 14.3 PPG · 3.2 RPG · 3.1 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Shooting guard
- Teams in final NBA season
- Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) · 200 lb (91 kg)
- Born
- March 31, 1969 (57 yrs old)
- College
- Michigan State
- NBA seasons
- 14 seasons · 1991–92 to 2004–05
Career summarySteve Smith was a shooting guard who played 14 NBA seasons, from 1991–92 through 2004–05.
- Career PPG
- 14.3
- Career RPG
- 3.2
- Career APG
- 3.1
- #43 in 1998–99
- #462 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Steve Smith ranks #462 all time
Steve Smith ranks #462 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #47.0. His full-career value ranks #267, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
942 games · Career Value Rank #267
NBA honorsAll-StarContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Steve Smith with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Steve Smith vs. Danny Ainge Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. Dan Majerle Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. Byron Scott Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. Hal Greer Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. John Starks Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. Rolando Blackman Similar career path
- Steve Smith vs. Tom Gugliotta Same-era comparison
- Steve Smith vs. Glen Rice Same-era comparison
- Steve Smith vs. Christian Laettner Same-era comparison
- Steve Smith vs. Stacey Augmon Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets, and Charlotte Bobcats
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 44.0%FG%
- Three-point
- 35.8%3P%
- Free throw
- 84.5%FT%
942 career games · 28,855 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
Steve Smith 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 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | +0.47 | CHA/MIA | 50 | 1 | 15.0 | 41.1% | 39.0% | 86.3% | #114 | 35.5 |
| 2003–04 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | -1.61 | NOH | 71 | 4 | 13.1 | 40.6% | 40.2% | 92.8% | #209 | 6.8 |
| 2002–03 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | -1.55 | SAS | 53 | 18 | 19.5 | 38.8% | 33.1% | 83.3% | #204 | 8.8 |
| 2001–02 | 11.6 | 2.5 | 2.0 | -0.23 | SAS | 77 | 76 | 28.7 | 45.5% | 47.2% | 87.8% | #140 | 73.2 |
| 2000–01 | 13.6 | 3.4 | 2.6 | +0.22 | POR | 81 | 36 | 31.4 | 45.6% | 33.9% | 89.0% | #105 | 104.7 |
| 1999–00 | 14.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | +1.76 | POR | 82 | 81 | 32.8 | 46.7% | 39.8% | 85.0% | #54 | 189.6 |
| 1998–99 | 18.7 | 4.2 | 3.3 | +2.46 | ATL | 36 | 36 | 36.5 | 40.2% | 33.8% | 84.9% | #43 | 104.0 |
| 1997–98 | 20.1 | 4.2 | 4.0 | +1.88 | ATL | 73 | 73 | 39.1 | 44.4% | 35.1% | 85.5% | #62 | 202.3 |
| 1996–97 | 20.1 | 3.3 | 4.2 | +1.29 | ATL | 72 | 72 | 39.1 | 42.9% | 33.5% | 84.7% | #74 | 167.7 |
| 1995–96 | 18.1 | 4.1 | 2.8 | +0.90 | ATL | 80 | 80 | 35.7 | 43.2% | 33.1% | 82.6% | #88 | 154.7 |
| 1994–95 | 16.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | +2.02 | ATL/MIA | 80 | 61 | 33.3 | 42.6% | 32.9% | 84.1% | #46 | 200.8 |
| 1993–94 | 17.3 | 4.5 | 5.1 | +1.48 | MIA | 78 | 77 | 35.6 | 45.6% | 34.7% | 83.5% | #52 | 188.6 |
| 1992–93 | 16.0 | 4.1 | 5.6 | +0.75 | MIA | 48 | 43 | 33.5 | 45.1% | 40.2% | 78.7% | #83 | 87.2 |
| 1991–92 | 12.0 | 3.1 | 4.6 | -1.85 | MIA | 61 | 59 | 29.6 | 45.4% | 32.0% | 74.8% | #199 | 5.3 |
| Career | 14.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | — | ATL/CHA/MIA/NOH/POR/SAS | 942 | — | 30.6 | 44.0% | 35.8% | 84.5% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
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.
53.3 composite · lower is better
51.4 average league finish
1,529 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 Steve Smith 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 Score53.3
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
- 319.5
- Qualified seasons
- 14
- All-time rank
- #462
Strongest seasons
Every season
Steve Smith 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 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05Historical Defense Estimate | CHA/MIA | 35 | 50 | 750 | +0.47 | 67.1 | #114 | 35.5 | 51st | Standard |
| 2003–04Historical Defense Estimate | NOH | 34 | 71 | 929 | -1.61 | 37.2 | #209 | 6.8 | 37th | Standard |
| 2002–03Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 33 | 53 | 1,032 | -1.55 | 36.2 | #204 | 8.8 | 35th | Broad |
| 2001–02Historical Defense Estimate | SAS | 32 | 77 | 2,211 | -0.23 | 57.0 | #140 | 73.2 | 64th | Broad |
| 2000–01Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 31 | 81 | 2,542 | +0.22 | 68.2 | #105 | 104.7 | 75th | Broad |
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | POR | 30 | 82 | 2,689 | +1.76 | 83.4 | #54 | 189.6 | 87th | Broad |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 29 | 36 | 1,314 | +2.46 | 84.8 | #43 | 104.0 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 28 | 73 | 2,857 | +1.88 | 80.8 | #62 | 202.3 | 88th | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 27 | 72 | 2,818 | +1.29 | 76.9 | #74 | 167.7 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 26 | 80 | 2,856 | +0.90 | 73.2 | #88 | 154.7 | 80th | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | ATL/MIA | 25 | 80 | 2,665 | +2.02 | 85.4 | #46 | 200.8 | 88th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | MIA | 24 | 78 | 2,776 | +1.48 | 82.5 | #52 | 188.6 | 86th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | MIA | 23 | 48 | 1,610 | +0.75 | 72.2 | #83 | 87.2 | 68th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | MIA | 22 | 61 | 1,806 | -1.85 | 31.5 | #199 | 5.3 | 33rd | Broad |
Career movement
Steve Smith's box impact by season
Peak box impact +2.46 points per 100 possessions in 1998–99 · 14 seasons · 28,855 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.
Steve SmithDanny Ainge
| NBA season | Steve Smith | Danny Ainge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -1.9 | -3.3 |
| 2 | 0.7 | -0.2 |
| 3 | 1.5 | -2.6 |
| 4 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| 5 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| 6 | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| 7 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| 8 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 9 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| 10 | 0.2 | 2.6 |
| 11 | -0.2 | 1.4 |
| 12 | -1.5 | 0.6 |
| 13 | -1.6 | -1.6 |
| 14 | 0.5 | -0.1 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Steve Smith
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.
SG · All-Time Career #355
Danny Ainge
94career similarity score
92/100 closest-season score · 1998–99 ↔ 1990–91SG · All-Time Career #369Dan Majerle
94career similarity score
91/100 closest-season score · 1998–99 ↔ 1996–97SG · All-Time Career #501Byron Scott
94career similarity score
89/100 closest-season score · 1998–99 ↔ 1993–94Impact 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 →