Darius Garland vs. Kevin McHale Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kevin McHale and Darius Garland, 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 / 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.

Darius Garland played 7 years in the NBA, 6 less than Kevin McHale, who played 13. Darius Garland had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Kevin McHale had his rookie season in 1980-81. 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
Darius Garland 7 3 2019-20 to 2025-26
Kevin McHale 13 13 1980-81 to 1992-93

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2019-201980-81
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 59 30.9 12.3 0.5 1.4 1.9 3.9 0.7 0.1 2.6 1.6 4.7 11.8 .401 1.8 5.0 .355 1.1 1.2 .875
difference:+23+10.8+2.3+1.4+1.1+2.5+3.2+0.4+1.7-1.3-1.6+0.4+3.7+.132+1.8+5.0+0.2+0.7+.196
Kevin McHale 82 20.1 10.0 1.9 2.5 4.4 0.7 0.3 1.8 1.3 3.2 4.3 8.1 .533 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 1.9 .679
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland DNP------ --- ----------
Kevin McHale 17 17.4 8.5 1.7 1.8 3.5 0.8 0.2 1.5 0.9 3.0 3.6 6.6 .540 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.1 .639

Season 2
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2020-211981-82
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf 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%
Darius Garland 54 33.1 17.4 0.4 2.0 2.4 6.1 1.2 0.1 3.0 2.0 6.7 14.9 .451 1.9 4.9 .395 2.1 2.4 .848
difference:+28+4.7+3.8+1.9+2.5+4.4+5.0+0.8+2.2-1.3-1.2+1.0+4.2+.080+1.9+4.9+0.2+0.6+.094
Kevin McHale 82 28.4 13.6 2.3 4.5 6.8 1.1 0.4 2.3 1.7 3.2 5.7 10.7 .531 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 3.0 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland DNP------ --- ----------
Kevin McHale 12 28.7 16.2 3.4 3.7 7.1 0.9 0.4 2.3 1.3 3.7 6.4 11.2 .575 0.0 0.0 - 3.3 4.4 .755

Season 3
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2021-221982-83
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 68 35.7 21.7 0.6 2.7 3.3 8.6 1.3 0.1 3.6 1.7 8.0 17.3 .462 2.6 6.7 .383 3.2 3.5 .892
difference:+14+7.1+7.6+2.0+1.4+3.4+7.3+0.9+2.2-1.7-1.2+2.1+6.4+.079+2.6+6.7+0.8+0.2+.175
Kevin McHale 82 28.6 14.1 2.6 4.1 6.7 1.3 0.4 2.3 1.9 2.9 5.9 10.9 .541 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 3.3 .717
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland DNP------ --- ----------
Kevin McHale 7 25.3 11.1 2.1 3.9 6.0 0.7 0.4 1.0 1.4 2.3 4.9 8.9 .548 0.0 0.1 .000 1.4 2.6 .556

Season 4
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2022-231983-84
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement Sixth Man of the Year
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st RdNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 69 35.5 21.6 0.4 2.3 2.7 7.8 1.2 0.1 2.9 2.1 7.6 16.4 .462 2.4 6.0 .410 4.0 4.7 .863
difference:+13+4.1+3.2+2.1+2.6+4.7+6.5+0.9+1.4-1.1-0.9+0.4+3.5+.094+2.4+6.0+0.1+0.7+.098
Kevin McHale 82 31.4 18.4 2.5 4.9 7.4 1.3 0.3 1.5 1.8 3.0 7.2 12.9 .556 0.0 0.0 - 4.1 5.4 .765
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 5 37.8 20.6 0.0 1.8 1.8 5.0 1.6 0.2 3.6 3.4 7.0 16.0 .438 2.4 6.2 .387 4.2 5.0 .840
difference:+18+7.3+5.8+2.7+1.7+4.4+3.8+1.5+1.3-1.9-0.1+1.7+5.4+.066+2.4+6.1+.387+0.1+0.3+.063
Kevin McHale 23 30.5 14.8 2.7 3.5 6.2 1.2 0.1 1.5 1.7 3.3 5.3 10.6 .504 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 5.3 .777

Season 5
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2023-241984-85
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement Sixth Man of the Year
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf SemisCeltics 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%
Darius Garland 57 33.4 18.0 0.5 2.1 2.7 6.5 1.3 0.1 3.1 1.7 6.6 14.8 .446 2.3 6.2 .371 2.6 3.1 .834
difference:+22+0.2+1.8+2.4+4.0+6.3+4.7+0.9+1.4-1.1-1.3+1.1+1.4+.124+2.3+6.1+.371+1.9+2.8+.074
Kevin McHale 79 33.6 19.8 2.9 6.1 9.0 1.8 0.4 1.5 2.0 3.0 7.7 13.4 .570 0.0 0.1 .000 4.5 5.9 .760
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 12 36.0 15.7 0.1 3.5 3.6 5.8 1.1 0.2 2.3 2.8 6.1 14.3 .427 2.1 5.9 .352 1.4 1.8 .810
difference:+9+3.9+6.4+3.4+2.9+6.3+4.3+0.5+2.0-0.6-0.7+2.1+0.1+.141+2.1+5.9+4.4+5.3+.003
Kevin McHale 21 39.9 22.1 3.5 6.4 9.9 1.5 0.6 2.2 2.9 3.5 8.2 14.4 .568 0.0 0.0 - 5.8 7.1 .807

Season 6
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2024-251985-86
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf SemisNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 75 30.7 20.6 0.6 2.2 2.9 6.7 1.2 0.1 2.5 1.9 7.4 15.7 .472 2.8 7.1 .401 3.0 3.4 .878
difference:+7+4.6+0.7+1.9+3.4+5.2+4.0+0.8+1.9-0.3-0.9+0.9+1.3+.102+2.8+7.1+1.8+2.8+.102
Kevin McHale 68 35.3 21.3 2.5 5.6 8.1 2.7 0.4 2.0 2.2 2.8 8.3 14.4 .574 0.0 0.0 - 4.8 6.2 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 5 29.6 18.0 0.2 2.0 2.2 5.2 0.4 0.0 3.0 3.4 5.8 13.8 .420 2.0 7.0 .286 4.4 4.8 .917
difference:+13+10.1+6.9+2.6+3.8+6.4+2.5+2.4-0.3-0.2+3.5+2.3+.159+2.0+6.9+.286+1.8+3.0+.123
Kevin McHale 18 39.7 24.9 2.8 5.8 8.6 2.7 0.4 2.4 2.7 3.6 9.3 16.1 .579 0.0 0.1 .000 6.2 7.8 .794

Season 7
Darius Garland Kevin McHale
Season 2025-261986-87
Team Cleveland CavaliersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland 3 24.3 13.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 1.0 0.0 1.7 2.0 4.0 12.0 .333 2.3 6.3 .368 2.7 2.7 1.000
difference:+74+15.4+13.1+2.2+4.7+6.9+2.4+0.5+2.2-0.9-1.1+6.3+5.0+.271+2.3+6.2+.368+2.9+3.9+.164
Kevin McHale 77 39.7 26.1 3.2 6.7 9.9 2.6 0.5 2.2 2.6 3.1 10.3 17.0 .604 0.0 0.1 .000 5.6 6.6 .836
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Darius Garland DNP------ --- ----------
Kevin McHale 21 39.4 21.1 3.1 6.1 9.2 1.9 0.3 1.4 2.6 3.4 8.3 14.2 .584 0.0 0.0 - 4.6 6.0 .762

Additional Years

* Kevin McHale played 6 seasons more than Darius Garland in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 13, from 1988 to 1993—Kevin McHale played in 6 Playoffs.

In those 6 extra years over Darius Garland, Kevin McHale got these achievements:

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