Damian Lillard vs. Aaron Nesmith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Aaron Nesmith and Damian Lillard, 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.

Damian Lillard played 13 years in the NBA, 7 more than Aaron Nesmith, who played 6. Damian Lillard had the first of his seasons in 2012-13, while Aaron Nesmith had his rookie season in 2020-21. 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
Damian Lillard 13 10 2012-13 to 2024-25
Aaron Nesmith 6 4 2020-21 to 2025-26

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2012-132020-21
Team Portland Trail BlazersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 82 38.6 19.0 0.5 2.6 3.1 6.5 0.9 0.2 3.0 2.1 6.7 15.7 .429 2.3 6.1 .368 3.3 3.9 .844
difference:+36+24.1+14.3+0.1+0.4+0.3+6.0+0.6-2.5-0.2+5.0+11.8+.009+1.4+3.8+.002+2.8+3.3+.058
Aaron Nesmith 46 14.5 4.7 0.6 2.2 2.8 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.5 1.9 1.7 3.9 .438 0.9 2.3 .370 0.5 0.6 .786
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard DNP------ --- ----------
Aaron Nesmith 5 15.0 3.2 0.4 2.2 2.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 1.4 1.0 3.6 .278 0.8 2.8 .286 0.4 0.4 1.000

Season 2
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2013-142021-22
Team Portland Trail BlazersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf SemisCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 82 35.8 20.7 0.4 3.1 3.5 5.6 0.8 0.3 2.4 2.4 6.7 15.9 .424 2.7 6.8 .394 4.5 5.2 .871
difference:+30+24.8+16.9+0.1+1.7+1.8+5.2+0.4+0.2-1.8-1.1+5.3+12.4+.028+2.1+4.6+.124+4.1+4.7+.063
Aaron Nesmith 52 11.0 3.8 0.3 1.4 1.7 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.6 1.3 1.4 3.5 .396 0.6 2.2 .270 0.4 0.5 .808
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 11 42.4 22.9 1.1 4.0 5.1 6.5 1.0 0.1 2.7 2.6 7.5 17.2 .439 2.5 6.4 .386 5.4 6.0 .894
difference:+4+38.9+22.1+0.8+3.3+4.1+6.3+0.9+0.2-2.6-2.2+7.2+16.1+.204+2.4+5.7+.295+5.2+5.7+.144
Aaron Nesmith 15 3.5 0.8 0.3 0.7 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.3 1.1 .235 0.1 0.7 .091 0.2 0.3 .750

Season 3
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2014-152022-23
Team Portland Trail BlazersIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Trail Blazers 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%
Damian Lillard 82 35.7 21.0 0.6 4.0 4.6 6.2 1.2 0.3 2.7 2.0 7.2 16.6 .434 2.4 7.0 .343 4.2 4.9 .864
difference:+9+10.8+10.9+0.2+1.1+0.8+4.9+0.4+0.2-1.7-1.2+3.7+8.5+.007+0.8+2.7+.023+2.6+3.0+.026
Aaron Nesmith 73 24.9 10.1 0.8 2.9 3.8 1.3 0.8 0.5 1.0 3.2 3.5 8.1 .427 1.6 4.3 .366 1.6 1.9 .838
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 5 40.2 21.6 0.4 3.6 4.0 4.6 0.4 0.6 2.4 3.0 7.8 19.2 .406 1.0 6.2 .161 5.0 6.4 .781
Aaron Nesmith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2015-162023-24
Team Portland Trail BlazersIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf SemisPacers Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 75 35.7 25.1 0.6 3.4 4.0 6.8 0.9 0.4 3.2 2.2 8.2 19.7 .419 3.1 8.1 .375 5.5 6.2 .892
difference:+3+8.0+12.9+0.3+0.5+0.2+5.3+0.3-2.3-1.1+3.8+10.9+.077+1.2+3.5+.044+4.0+4.3+.111
Aaron Nesmith 72 27.7 12.2 0.9 2.9 3.8 1.5 0.9 0.7 0.9 3.3 4.4 8.8 .496 1.9 4.6 .419 1.5 1.9 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 11 39.7 26.5 1.1 3.2 4.3 6.3 1.3 0.3 3.0 2.1 8.1 22.0 .368 3.8 9.7 .393 6.5 7.1 .910
difference:+6+6.8+16.0+0.6+0.6+4.1+0.7+0.2-1.6-1.8+4.5+13.7+.065+2.5+5.1+.115+4.5+4.9+.009
Aaron Nesmith 17 32.9 10.5 1.1 3.8 4.9 2.2 0.6 0.5 1.4 3.9 3.6 8.3 .433 1.3 4.6 .278 2.0 2.2 .919

Season 5
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2016-172024-25
Team Portland Trail BlazersIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdPacers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 75 35.9 27.0 0.6 4.3 4.9 5.9 0.9 0.3 2.6 2.0 8.8 19.8 .444 2.9 7.7 .370 6.5 7.3 .895
difference:+30+10.9+15.0+0.2+1.2+0.9+4.7+0.1+0.1-1.8-0.5+4.5+11.4+.063+1.0+3.4+.061+4.9+5.5+.018
Aaron Nesmith 45 25.0 12.0 0.8 3.1 4.0 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.8 2.5 4.3 8.4 .507 1.9 4.3 .431 1.6 1.8 .913
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 4 37.8 27.8 1.0 3.5 4.5 3.3 1.3 0.5 3.3 2.8 9.8 22.5 .433 2.3 8.0 .281 6.0 6.3 .960
difference:+19+9.5+15.1+0.2+1.0+1.2+2.2+0.4+0.3-2.3-1.3+5.5+13.3+.039+0.3+2.7+.211+4.7+4.7+.099
Aaron Nesmith 23 28.3 12.7 1.2 4.5 5.7 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.0 4.1 4.3 9.2 .472 2.6 5.3 .492 1.3 1.6 .861

Season 6
Damian Lillard Aaron Nesmith
Season 2017-182025-26
Team Portland Trail BlazersIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid 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%
Damian Lillard 73 36.6 26.9 0.8 3.6 4.5 6.6 1.1 0.4 2.8 1.6 8.5 19.4 .439 3.1 8.6 .361 6.8 7.4 .916
difference:+62+6.1+11.4+0.7+0.7+5.1+0.3+0.1-2.1-0.9+3.6+6.0+.072+0.3+1.1+.012+4.0+3.9+.121
Aaron Nesmith 11 30.5 15.5 1.5 2.9 4.5 1.5 0.8 0.3 0.7 2.5 4.9 13.4 .367 2.8 7.5 .373 2.8 3.5 .795
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Damian Lillard 4 40.5 18.5 0.8 3.8 4.5 4.8 1.3 0.0 4.0 2.0 6.3 17.8 .352 2.3 7.5 .300 3.8 4.3 .882
Aaron Nesmith DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Damian Lillard played 7 seasons more than Aaron Nesmith in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 13, from 2019 to 2025—Damian Lillard played in 5 Playoffs and one NBA Cup.

In those 7 extra years over Aaron Nesmith, Damian Lillard got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 3 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 1 Cup All-Tournament Team
Achievement 6 All-Star Game
Achievement 1 All-Star Game MVP
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