Anthony Davis vs. Ben Simmons Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ben Simmons and Anthony Davis, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Anthony Davis played 14 years in the NBA, 7 more than Ben Simmons, who played 7. Anthony Davis had the first of his seasons in 2012-13, while Ben Simmons had his rookie season in 2017-18. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Anthony Davis 14 6 2012-13 to 2025-26
Ben Simmons 7 4 2017-18 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

Rookie Season

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2012-132017-18
Team New Orleans HornetsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 64 28.8 13.5 2.6 5.6 8.2 1.0 1.2 1.8 1.4 2.5 5.5 10.6 .516 0.0 0.1 .000 2.6 3.5 .751
difference:+17+4.9+2.3+0.8+0.7+0.1+7.2+0.5+0.9-2.0-0.1+1.2+1.7+.029+0.2+0.7+.191
Ben Simmons 81 33.7 15.8 1.8 6.3 8.1 8.2 1.7 0.9 3.4 2.6 6.7 12.3 .545 0.0 0.1 .000 2.4 4.2 .560
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis DNP------ --- ----------
Ben Simmons 10 36.9 16.3 1.6 7.8 9.4 7.7 1.7 0.8 4.4 3.4 6.1 12.5 .488 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 5.8 .707

Season 2

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2013-142018-19
Team New Orleans PelicansPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement Blocks Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 67 35.2 20.8 3.1 7.0 10.0 1.6 1.3 2.8 1.6 3.0 7.8 15.0 .519 0.0 0.1 .222 5.2 6.6 .791
difference:+12+1.0+3.9+0.9+0.4+1.2+6.1+0.1+2.0-1.9-0.4+1.0+2.8+.044+.222+1.9+1.2+.191
Ben Simmons 79 34.2 16.9 2.2 6.6 8.8 7.7 1.4 0.8 3.5 2.6 6.8 12.2 .563 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 5.4 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis DNP------ --- ----------
Ben Simmons 12 35.1 13.9 1.9 5.1 7.0 6.0 1.3 1.0 2.7 3.8 6.0 9.7 .621 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.3 .575

Season 3

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2014-152019-20
Team New Orleans PelicansPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
-Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
-Achievement Steals Leader
Achievement Blocks Leader-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pelicans Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 68 36.1 24.4 2.5 7.7 10.2 2.2 1.5 2.9 1.4 2.1 9.4 17.6 .535 0.0 0.2 .083 5.5 6.8 .805
difference:+11+0.7+8.0+0.5+1.9+2.4+5.8+0.6+2.3-2.1-1.2+2.8+6.2+.045+0.1+.203+2.3+1.6+.184
Ben Simmons 57 35.4 16.4 2.0 5.8 7.8 8.0 2.1 0.6 3.5 3.3 6.6 11.4 .580 0.0 0.1 .286 3.2 5.2 .621
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 4 43.0 31.5 2.3 8.8 11.0 2.0 1.3 3.0 3.3 3.0 11.8 21.8 .540 0.0 0.5 .000 8.0 9.0 .889
Ben Simmons DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2015-162020-21
Team New Orleans PelicansPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 61 35.5 24.3 2.1 8.1 10.3 1.9 1.3 2.0 2.0 2.4 9.2 18.6 .493 0.6 1.8 .324 5.3 7.0 .758
difference:+3+3.1+10.0+0.5+2.5+3.1+5.0+0.3+1.4-1.0-0.5+3.6+8.5+.064+0.5+1.6+.024+2.3+2.1+.145
Ben Simmons 58 32.4 14.3 1.6 5.6 7.2 6.9 1.6 0.6 3.0 2.9 5.6 10.1 .557 0.1 0.2 .300 3.0 4.9 .613
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis DNP------ --- ----------
Ben Simmons 12 33.5 11.9 2.1 5.8 7.9 8.8 1.3 0.8 2.3 3.3 4.9 7.9 .621 0.0 0.1 .000 2.1 6.1 .342

Note: Ben Simmons didn't play in 2021-22.

Season 5

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2016-172022-23
Team New Orleans PelicansBrooklyn Nets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game MVP-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 75 36.1 28.0 2.3 9.5 11.8 2.1 1.3 2.2 2.4 2.2 10.3 20.3 .505 0.5 1.8 .299 6.9 8.6 .802
difference:+33+9.8+21.1+1.3+4.2+5.5+4.0+1.6-0.1-1.1+7.1+14.7+.061+0.5+1.8+6.3+7.2+.363
Ben Simmons 42 26.3 6.9 1.0 5.3 6.3 6.1 1.3 0.6 2.3 3.3 3.2 5.6 .566 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 1.4 .439
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Anthony Davis nor Ben Simmons played in the postseason in their season 5

Season 6

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2017-182023-24
Team New Orleans PelicansBrooklyn Nets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement Blocks Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Pelicans Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 75 36.4 28.1 2.5 8.6 11.1 2.3 1.5 2.6 2.2 2.1 10.4 19.5 .534 0.7 2.2 .340 6.6 8.0 .828
difference:+60+12.5+22.0+0.4+2.7+3.2+3.4+0.7+2.0-0.4-0.3+7.5+14.6+.047+0.7+2.2+6.2+7.0+.428
Ben Simmons 15 23.9 6.1 2.1 5.9 7.9 5.7 0.8 0.6 1.8 2.4 2.9 4.9 .581 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 1.0 .400
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 9 39.8 30.1 2.7 10.8 13.4 1.7 2.0 2.3 2.6 3.3 11.8 22.7 .520 0.7 2.4 .273 5.9 7.1 .828
Ben Simmons DNP------ --- ----------

Season 7

Anthony Davis Ben Simmons
Season 2018-192024-25
Team New Orleans PelicansBrooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayClippers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis 56 33.0 25.9 3.1 8.9 12.0 3.9 1.6 2.4 2.0 2.4 9.5 18.3 .517 0.9 2.6 .331 6.1 7.7 .794
difference:+5+11.0+20.9+2.2+5.1+7.3+1.7+0.9+1.9-0.3+7.2+13.9+.003+0.9+2.6+5.6+7.1+.067
Ben Simmons 51 22.0 5.0 0.9 3.8 4.7 5.6 0.7 0.5 2.0 2.1 2.3 4.4 .520 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 0.6 .727
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Anthony Davis DNP------ --- ----------
Ben Simmons 5 8.4 0.8 0.6 0.8 1.4 0.8 0.2 0.8 0.4 2.2 0.4 1.2 .333 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Additional Years

* Anthony Davis played 7 seasons more than Ben Simmons in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 14, from 2020 to 2026—Anthony Davis played in 4 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship and one NBA Cup.

In those 7 extra years over Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 2 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 1 Cup All-Tournament Team
Achievement 4 All-Star Game