Cade Cunningham vs. Chris Paul Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Chris Paul and Cade Cunningham, 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 / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / 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.
Cade Cunningham played 4 years in the NBA, 16 less than Chris Paul, who played 20. Cade Cunningham had the first of his seasons in 2021-22, while Chris Paul had his rookie season in 2005-06. 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 |
| Cade Cunningham | 4 | 1 | 2021-22 to 2024-25 |
| Chris Paul | 20 | 15 | 2005-06 to 2024-25 |
Rookie Season |
||
| Cade Cunningham | Chris Paul | |
| Season | 2021-22 | 2005-06 |
| Team | Detroit Pistons | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets |
| Honors & Awards | - |  Rookie of the Year |
| All-Rookie First Team | All-Rookie First Team | |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | 64 | 32.6 | 17.4 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 6.7 | 16.1 | .416 | 1.8 | 5.7 | .314 | 2.2 | 2.6 | .845 |
| difference: | +14 | +3.4 | +1.3 | +0.1 | +0.3 | +0.4 | +2.2 | +1.0 | +0.6 | -1.4 | -0.3 | +1.5 | +4.0 | +.014 | +1.2 | +3.4 | +.032 | +2.9 | +3.4 | +.002 |
| Chris Paul | 78 | 36.0 | 16.1 | 0.8 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 12.1 | .430 | 0.6 | 2.3 | .282 | 5.1 | 6.0 | .847 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Cade Cunningham nor Chris Paul played in the postseason in their season 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2 |
||
| Cade Cunningham | Chris Paul | |
| Season | 2022-23 | 2006-07 |
| Team | Detroit Pistons | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets |
| Honors & Awards | ||
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | 12 | 33.3 | 19.9 | 1.0 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 7.8 | 18.7 | .415 | 1.4 | 5.1 | .279 | 3.0 | 3.6 | .837 |
| difference: | +52 | +3.5 | +2.6 | +0.2 | +1.7 | +1.8 | +2.9 | +1.0 | +0.6 | -0.8 | -0.4 | +1.8 | +5.1 | +.022 | +0.6 | +2.9 | +.071 | +1.6 | +2.0 | +.019 |
| Chris Paul | 64 | 36.8 | 17.3 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 8.9 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 13.6 | .437 | 0.8 | 2.2 | .350 | 4.6 | 5.6 | .818 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Cade Cunningham nor Chris Paul played in the postseason in their season 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 3 |
||
| Cade Cunningham | Chris Paul | |
| Season | 2023-24 | 2007-08 |
| Team | Detroit Pistons | New Orleans Hornets |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-NBA First Team |
| - | All-Defensive Second Team | |
| - | Assists Leader | |
| - | Steals Leader | |
| - | All-Star Game | |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Hornets Lost West Conf Semis |
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | 62 | 33.5 | 22.7 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 8.5 | 18.8 | .449 | 1.9 | 5.4 | .355 | 3.8 | 4.4 | .869 |
| difference: | +18 | +4.1 | +1.6 | +0.3 | +0.6 | +0.3 | +4.1 | +1.8 | +0.3 | -0.9 | -0.2 | +0.6 | +2.7 | +.039 | +0.7 | +2.3 | +.014 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +.018 |
| Chris Paul | 80 | 37.6 | 21.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 11.6 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 7.9 | 16.1 | .488 | 1.2 | 3.1 | .369 | 4.2 | 4.9 | .851 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chris Paul | 12 | 40.5 | 24.1 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 11.3 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 9.3 | 18.4 | .502 | 0.4 | 1.8 | .238 | 5.2 | 6.6 | .785 |
Season 4 |
||
| Cade Cunningham | Chris Paul | |
| Season | 2024-25 | 2008-09 |
| Team | Detroit Pistons | New Orleans Hornets |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-NBA Second Team |
| All-NBA Third Team | - | |
| - | All-Defensive First Team | |
| - | Assists Leader | |
| - | Steals Leader | |
| All-Star Game | All-Star Game | |
| Playoffs | Pistons Lost East Conf 1st Rd | Hornets Lost West Conf 1st Rd |
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | 70 | 35.0 | 26.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 9.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 9.8 | 20.8 | .469 | 2.1 | 6.0 | .356 | 4.5 | 5.3 | .846 |
| difference: | +8 | +3.5 | +3.3 | +0.1 | +0.6 | +0.6 | +1.9 | +1.8 | +0.7 | -1.4 | -0.1 | +1.7 | +4.7 | +.034 | +1.3 | +3.7 | +.008 | +1.3 | +1.4 | +.022 |
| Chris Paul | 78 | 38.5 | 22.8 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 11.0 | 2.8 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 8.1 | 16.1 | .503 | 0.8 | 2.3 | .364 | 5.8 | 6.7 | .868 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Cade Cunningham | 6 | 41.3 | 25.0 | 1.0 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 3.3 | 9.2 | 21.5 | .426 | 0.8 | 4.7 | .179 | 5.8 | 7.0 | .833 |
| difference: | +1 | +1.1 | +8.4 | +0.2 | +3.7 | +3.9 | +1.7 | +0.2 | +1.3 | -0.5 | -1.7 | +3.2 | +6.9 | +.015 | +0.2 | +1.5 | +.134 | +2.2 | +2.8 | +.024 |
| Chris Paul | 5 | 40.2 | 16.6 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 10.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 1.6 | 6.0 | 14.6 | .411 | 1.0 | 3.2 | .313 | 3.6 | 4.2 | .857 |
Additional Years |
|
* Chris Paul played 16 seasons more than Cade Cunningham in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 5 to 20, from 2010 to 2025—Chris Paul played in 13 Playoffs. In those 16 extra years over Cade Cunningham, Chris Paul got these achievements: | |
| Honors & Awards | 3 All-NBA First Team 4 All-NBA Second Team 2 All-NBA Third Team 6 All-Defensive First Team 1 All-Defensive Second Team 3 Assists Leader 4 Steals Leader 10 All-Star Game 1 All-Star Game MVP |