Chris Paul vs. Zion Williamson Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Zion Williamson and Chris Paul, 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.
Chris Paul played 20 years in the NBA, 15 more than Zion Williamson, who played 5. Chris Paul had the first of his seasons in 2005-06, while Zion Williamson had his rookie season in 2019-20. 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 |
| Chris Paul | 20 | 15 | 2005-06 to 2024-25 |
| Zion Williamson | 5 | 0 | 2019-20 to 2024-25 |
Rookie Season |
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| Chris Paul | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2005-06 | 2019-20 |
| Team | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 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 | % | ||||
| 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 |
| difference: | +54 | +8.2 | +6.4 | +1.9 | +0.7 | +1.2 | +5.7 | +1.5 | +0.3 | -0.2 | -1.0 | +3.6 | +2.9 | +.153 | +0.3 | +1.7 | +.147 | +0.3 | +1.4 | +.207 |
| Zion Williamson | 24 | 27.8 | 22.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 8.8 | 15.0 | .583 | 0.3 | 0.6 | .429 | 4.8 | 7.4 | .640 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Chris Paul nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2 |
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| Chris Paul | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2006-07 | 2020-21 |
| Team | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-Star Game |
| 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 | % | ||||
| 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 |
| difference: | +3 | +3.6 | +9.7 | +1.9 | +1.0 | +2.8 | +5.2 | +0.9 | +0.6 | -0.2 | -0.2 | +4.4 | +3.4 | +.174 | +0.6 | +1.6 | +.056 | +1.4 | +3.1 | +.120 |
| Zion Williamson | 61 | 33.2 | 27.0 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 10.4 | 17.0 | .611 | 0.2 | 0.6 | .294 | 6.0 | 8.7 | .698 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Chris Paul nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Zion Williamson didn't play in 2021-22.
Season 3 |
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| Chris Paul | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2007-08 | 2022-23 |
| Team | New Orleans Hornets | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | All-NBA First Team | - |
| All-Defensive Second Team | - | |
| Assists Leader | - | |
| Steals Leader | - | |
| All-Star Game | All-Star Game | |
| Playoffs | Hornets Lost West Conf Semis | Did Not Play |
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 | % | ||||
| 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 |
| difference: | +51 | +4.6 | +4.9 | +1.2 | +1.8 | +3.0 | +7.0 | +1.6 | +0.5 | -0.9 | -0.1 | +1.9 | +0.1 | +.120 | +1.0 | +2.4 | +.001 | +1.9 | +3.7 | +.137 |
| Zion Williamson | 29 | 33.0 | 26.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 9.8 | 16.2 | .608 | 0.2 | 0.7 | .368 | 6.1 | 8.6 | .714 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| 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 |
| Zion Williamson | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Season 4 |
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| Chris Paul | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2008-09 | 2023-24 |
| Team | New Orleans Hornets | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | All-NBA Second Team | - |
| All-Defensive First Team | - | |
| Assists Leader | - | |
| Steals Leader | - | |
| All-Star Game | - | |
| Playoffs | Hornets Lost West Conf 1st Rd | Did Not Play |
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 | % | ||||
| 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 |
| difference: | +8 | +7.0 | +0.1 | +0.8 | +0.6 | +0.3 | +6.0 | +1.7 | +0.6 | -0.2 | -0.4 | +0.8 | +0.5 | +.067 | +0.7 | +2.0 | +.031 | +0.8 | +0.4 | +.166 |
| Zion Williamson | 70 | 31.5 | 22.9 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 8.9 | 15.6 | .570 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .333 | 5.0 | 7.1 | .702 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| 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 |
| Zion Williamson | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Season 5 |
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| Chris Paul | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2009-10 | 2024-25 |
| Team | New Orleans Hornets | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | All-Star Game | - |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Chris Paul | 45 | 38.0 | 18.7 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 10.7 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 7.0 | 14.2 | .493 | 1.2 | 2.8 | .409 | 3.6 | 4.2 | .847 |
| difference: | +15 | +9.4 | +5.9 | +2.1 | +0.9 | +3.0 | +5.4 | +0.9 | +0.7 | -0.5 | -0.1 | +2.6 | +2.7 | +.074 | +1.1 | +2.4 | +.178 | +1.7 | +3.8 | +.191 |
| Zion Williamson | 30 | 28.6 | 24.6 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 9.6 | 16.9 | .567 | 0.1 | 0.4 | .231 | 5.3 | 8.0 | .656 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Chris Paul nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Additional Years |
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* Chris Paul played 15 seasons more than Zion Williamson in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 6 to 20, from 2011 to 2025—Chris Paul played in 13 Playoffs. In those 15 extra years over Zion Williamson, 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 9 All-Star Game 1 All-Star Game MVP |