Daniel Gafford vs. Gary Payton Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Gary Payton and Daniel Gafford, 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

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.

Daniel Gafford played 6 years in the NBA, 11 less than Gary Payton, who played 17. Daniel Gafford had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Gary Payton had his rookie season in 1990-91. 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
Daniel Gafford	6	2	2019-20 to 2024-25
Gary Payton	17	15	1990-91 to 2006-07

Comparison Season by Season
Jump to season: 1-2-3-4-5-6


Rookie Season
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2019-20	1990-91
Team	Chicago Bulls	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards	-	All-Rookie Second Team
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Supersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	43	14.2	5.1	1.2	1.3	2.5	0.5	0.3	1.3	0.7	2.3	2.2	3.1	.701	0.0	0.0	-	0.7	1.4	.533
difference:	+39	+13.2	+2.1	+0.1	+0.3	+0.5	+5.9	+1.7	+1.1	-1.5	-0.7	+1.0	+3.9	+.251		+0.2		+0.1	+0.2	+.178
Gary Payton	82	27.4	7.2	1.3	1.6	3.0	6.4	2.0	0.2	2.2	3.0	3.2	7.0	.450	0.0	0.2	.077	0.8	1.2	.711

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gary Payton	5	27.0	4.8	1.0	1.6	2.6	6.4	1.6	0.2	1.8	3.2	2.2	5.4	.407	0.0	0.2	.000	0.4	0.4	1.000


Season 2
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2020-21	1991-92
Team	Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Wizards Lost East Conf 1st Rd	Supersonics Lost West Conf Semis

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	54	14.6	7.0	1.7	2.5	4.3	0.5	0.5	1.4	0.8	1.8	2.9	4.2	.684	0.0	0.0	-	1.3	2.0	.667
difference:	+27	+16.9	+2.4	+0.2	+0.4	+0.7	+5.7	+1.3	+1.1	-1.3	-1.3	+1.2	+4.9	+.233		+0.3		+0.1	+0.2	+.002
Gary Payton	81	31.5	9.4	1.5	2.1	3.6	6.2	1.8	0.3	2.1	3.1	4.1	9.1	.451	0.0	0.3	.130	1.2	1.8	.669

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	5	23.4	11.8	2.8	3.0	5.8	0.6	1.0	2.0	0.6	3.4	4.4	5.2	.846	0.0	0.0	-	3.0	4.8	.625
difference:	+3	+4.2	+4.2	+2.0	+1.1	+3.2	+4.2		+1.7	-0.7	-0.1	+1.0	+2.1	+.380		+0.3		+2.1	+3.3	+.042
Gary Payton	8	27.6	7.6	0.8	1.9	2.6	4.8	1.0	0.3	1.3	3.3	3.4	7.3	.466	0.0	0.3	.000	0.9	1.5	.583


Season 3
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2021-22	1992-93
Team	Washington Wizards	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Supersonics Lost West Conf Finals

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	72	20.1	9.4	2.2	3.5	5.7	0.9	0.4	1.4	0.9	2.4	4.0	5.7	.693	0.0	0.0	-	1.5	2.1	.699
difference:	+10	+11.0	+4.1	+1.0	+1.2	+2.3	+4.0	+1.8	+1.1	-0.9	-0.6	+1.8	+6.0	+.199	+0.1	+0.4		+0.3	+0.3	+.071
Gary Payton	82	31.1	13.5	1.2	2.3	3.4	4.9	2.2	0.3	1.8	3.0	5.8	11.7	.494	0.1	0.4	.206	1.8	2.4	.770

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gary Payton	19	31.8	12.3	1.2	2.2	3.3	3.7	1.8	0.2	1.8	3.4	5.5	12.4	.443	0.1	0.3	.167	1.3	1.9	.676


Season 4
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2022-23	1993-94
Team	Washington Wizards	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	All-Defensive First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Supersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	78	20.6	9.0	2.1	3.5	5.6	1.1	0.4	1.3	1.1	2.4	3.7	5.1	.732	0.0	0.0	-	1.6	2.4	.679
difference:	+4	+14.5	+7.5	+0.8	+1.5	+2.3	+4.9	+1.9	+1.1	-1.0	-0.4	+3.4	+9.0	+.228	+0.2	+0.7		+0.4	+1.0	+.084
Gary Payton	82	35.1	16.5	1.3	2.0	3.3	6.0	2.3	0.2	2.1	2.8	7.1	14.1	.504	0.2	0.7	.278	2.0	3.4	.595

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gary Payton	5	36.2	15.8	1.2	2.2	3.4	5.6	1.6	0.4	1.6	3.0	6.8	13.8	.493	0.6	1.8	.333	1.6	3.8	.421


Season 5
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2023-24	1994-95
Team	Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Defensive First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Mavericks Lost NBA Finals	Supersonics Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	74	24.5	11.0	2.6	5.0	7.6	1.6	0.9	2.1	1.0	3.1	4.7	6.5	.725	0.0	0.0	-	1.6	2.4	.674
difference:	+8	+12.3	+9.6	+1.3	+2.9	+4.2	+5.5	+1.6	+1.9	-1.5	-0.6	+3.7	+9.9	+.216	+0.9	+2.8		+1.4	+1.8	+.042
Gary Payton	82	36.8	20.6	1.3	2.1	3.4	7.1	2.5	0.2	2.5	2.5	8.4	16.4	.509	0.9	2.8	.302	3.0	4.2	.716

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	22	20.2	9.0	1.9	3.6	5.5	0.7	0.3	1.5	0.9	1.7	3.5	5.6	.634	0.0	0.0	-	1.9	3.0	.631
difference:	+18	+22.8	+8.8	+0.4	+2.6	+3.0	+4.6	+1.0	+1.5	-1.1	-1.6	+4.5	+11.2	+.156	+0.5	+2.5		+0.6		+.214
Gary Payton	4	43.0	17.8	1.5	1.0	2.5	5.3	1.3	0.0	2.0	3.3	8.0	16.8	.478	0.5	2.5	.200	1.3	3.0	.417


Season 6
	Daniel Gafford	Gary Payton
Season	2024-25	1995-96
Team	Dallas Mavericks	Seattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Defensive First Team
	-	Defensive Player of the Year
	-	Steals Leader
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Supersonics Lost NBA Finals

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	57	21.5	12.3	2.7	4.1	6.8	1.4	0.4	1.8	1.2	2.7	5.0	7.1	.702	0.0	0.0	-	2.4	3.4	.689
difference:	+24	+17.5	+7.0	+1.4	+1.2	+2.6	+6.1	+2.5	+1.6	-2.0		+2.6	+8.7	+.218	+1.2	+3.7		+0.4	+0.4	+.059
Gary Payton	81	39.0	19.3	1.3	2.9	4.2	7.5	2.9	0.2	3.2	2.7	7.6	15.8	.484	1.2	3.7	.328	2.8	3.8	.748

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Daniel Gafford	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gary Payton	21	43.4	20.7	0.9	4.2	5.1	6.8	1.8	0.3	3.0	3.3	7.7	15.9	.485	2.0	4.8	.410	3.3	5.2	.633


Additional Years
* Gary Payton played 11 seasons more than Daniel Gafford in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 7 to 17, from 1997 to 2007—Gary Payton played in 9 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship. In those 11 extra years over Daniel Gafford, Gary Payton got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	2 All-NBA First Team 3 All-NBA Second Team 1 All-NBA Third Team 6 All-Defensive First Team 6 All-Star Game

Daniel Gafford vs. Gary Payton Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Gary Payton and Daniel Gafford, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Their Careers

Comparison Season by Season

Rookie Season

Rookie Season Stats Comparison

Season 2

2nd Season Stats Comparison

Season 3

3rd Season Stats Comparison

Season 4

4th Season Stats Comparison

Season 5

5th Season Stats Comparison

Season 6

6th Season Stats Comparison

Additional Years