Dave Cowens vs. Derek Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Derek Smith and Dave Cowens, 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 / 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.

Dave Cowens played 11 years in the NBA, 2 more than Derek Smith, who played 9. Dave Cowens had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Derek Smith had his rookie season in 1982-83. 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 achivements, 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
Dave Cowens 11 7 1970-71 to 1982-83
Derek Smith 9 3 1982-83 to 1990-91

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11

Rookie Season

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1970-711982-83
Team Boston CelticsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 81 38.0 17.0 - - 15.0 2.8 - - - 4.3 6.8 16.1 .422 - - - 3.4 4.6 .732
Derek Smith 27 5.7 2.2 0.4 1.0 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 1.5 0.8 1.9 .412 0.0 0.1 .000 0.6 0.9 .680
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1971-721983-84
Team Boston CelticsSan Diego Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 79 40.3 18.8 - - 15.2 3.1 - - - 4.0 8.3 17.2 .484 - - - 2.2 3.1 .720
Derek Smith 61 21.3 9.8 0.9 1.9 2.8 1.3 0.5 0.4 1.3 2.7 3.9 7.1 .546 0.0 0.1 .167 2.0 2.7 .755
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 40.1 15.5 - - 13.8 3.0 - - - 4.5 6.5 14.2 .455 - - - 2.5 4.3 .596
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1972-731984-85
Team Boston CelticsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 82 41.8 20.5 - - 16.2 4.1 - - - 3.8 9.0 20.0 .452 - - - 2.5 3.2 .779
Derek Smith 80 34.5 22.1 2.2 3.2 5.3 2.7 1.0 0.7 2.9 4.0 8.5 15.9 .537 0.0 0.2 .158 5.0 6.3 .794
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 13 46.0 21.9 - - 16.6 3.7 - - - 4.2 9.9 21.0 .473 - - - 2.1 3.2 .659
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 4

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1973-741985-86
Team Boston CelticsLos Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 80 41.9 19.0 3.3 12.4 15.7 4.4 1.2 1.3 - 3.7 8.1 18.4 .437 - - - 2.9 3.4 .832
Derek Smith 11 30.8 23.5 1.8 1.9 3.7 2.8 0.8 1.2 3.0 3.2 9.1 16.5 .552 0.1 0.2 .500 5.3 7.6 .690
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 42.9 20.5 3.3 10.0 13.3 3.7 1.2 0.9 - 4.7 8.9 20.6 .435 - - - 2.6 3.3 .797
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 5

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1974-751986-87
Team Boston CelticsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 65 40.5 20.4 3.5 11.2 14.7 4.6 1.3 1.1 - 3.7 8.8 18.4 .475 - - - 2.9 3.8 .783
Derek Smith 52 31.9 16.6 1.2 2.3 3.5 3.9 0.9 0.4 2.4 3.5 6.5 14.6 .446 0.2 0.6 .273 3.4 4.4 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 43.5 20.5 4.5 12.0 16.5 4.2 1.6 0.5 - 4.5 9.2 21.5 .428 - - - 2.1 2.4 .885
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1975-761987-88
Team Boston CelticsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 78 39.8 19.0 4.3 11.7 16.0 4.2 1.2 0.9 - 4.0 7.8 16.7 .468 - - - 3.3 4.4 .756
Derek Smith 35 25.7 12.7 1.0 1.9 2.9 2.5 0.6 0.5 1.4 3.1 5.0 10.4 .478 0.2 0.7 .348 2.5 3.2 .770
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 44.3 21.0 4.8 11.6 16.4 4.6 1.2 0.7 - 4.7 8.7 18.9 .457 - - - 3.7 4.8 .759
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Season 7

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1976-771988-89
Team Boston CelticsSacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf Semis76ers Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 50 37.8 16.4 2.9 11.0 13.9 5.0 0.9 1.0 - 3.6 6.6 15.1 .434 - - - 3.2 4.0 .818
Derek Smith 65 19.9 8.7 0.9 1.6 2.6 2.0 0.7 0.4 1.4 2.5 3.3 7.6 .435 0.1 0.5 .226 2.0 2.9 .686
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 42.1 16.6 3.2 11.7 14.9 4.0 0.9 1.4 - 4.1 7.3 16.4 .446 - - - 1.9 2.4 .773
Derek Smith 3 16.0 6.3 0.7 1.7 2.3 1.0 0.3 0.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 4.7 .643 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.7 .500

Season 8

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1977-781989-90
Team Boston CelticsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 77 41.8 18.6 3.2 10.8 14.0 4.6 1.3 0.9 2.8 3.9 7.8 15.8 .490 - - - 3.1 3.7 .842
Derek Smith 75 18.7 8.9 0.8 1.5 2.3 1.5 0.5 0.3 1.1 2.6 3.5 6.9 .508 0.2 0.5 .444 1.7 2.5 .699
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Derek Smith 1 15.0 11.0 0.0 0.0 0 1.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 5.0 8.0 .625 0.0 1.0 .000 1.0 2.0 .500

Season 9

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1978-791990-91
Team Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 68 37.0 16.6 2.2 7.4 9.6 3.6 1.1 0.8 2.6 3.9 7.2 14.9 .483 - - - 2.2 2.8 .807
Derek Smith 2 8.0 2.5 0.0 0.0 0 2.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.5 0.5 2.0 .250 0.0 0.5 .000 1.5 2.0 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Derek Smith 10 8.6 2.9 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.8 2.0 0.9 2.1 .429 0.0 0.1 .000 1.1 1.4 .786

Season 10

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1979-80-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 66 32.7 14.2 1.9 6.2 8.1 3.1 1.0 0.9 1.6 3.3 6.4 14.1 .453 0.0 0.2 .083 1.4 1.8 .779
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 33.4 12.0 2.0 5.3 7.3 2.3 1.0 0.8 0.9 4.1 5.4 11.4 .476 0.0 0.2 .000 1.1 1.2 .909
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------

Note: Dave Cowens didn't play in 1980-81 and 1981-82.

Season 11

Dave Cowens Derek Smith
Season 1982-83-
Team Milwaukee Bucks-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 40 25.4 8.1 1.8 5.0 6.9 2.1 0.8 0.4 1.1 3.4 3.4 7.7 .444 0.0 0.1 .000 1.3 1.6 .825
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Derek Smith ------- --- ----------