De'Aaron Fox vs. J.R. Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of J.R. Smith and De'Aaron Fox, 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

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.

De'Aaron Fox played 9 years in the NBA, 7 less than J.R. Smith, who played 16. De'Aaron Fox had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while J.R. Smith had his rookie season in 2004-05. 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
De'Aaron Fox 9 1 2017-18 to 2025-26
J.R. Smith 16 12 2004-05 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2017-182004-05
Team Sacramento KingsNew Orleans Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 73 27.8 11.6 0.5 2.3 2.8 4.4 1.0 0.3 2.4 2.2 4.5 10.9 .412 0.6 2.1 .307 1.9 2.7 .723
difference:+3+3.3+1.3+0.8+0.8+2.5+0.3+0.2-1.0-0.4+0.6+1.1+.018+0.5+1.6+.019+0.4+0.6+.034
J.R. Smith 76 24.5 10.3 0.5 1.5 2.0 1.9 0.7 0.1 1.4 1.8 3.9 9.8 .394 1.1 3.7 .288 1.5 2.1 .689
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher De'Aaron Fox nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2018-192005-06
Team Sacramento KingsNew Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 81 31.4 17.3 0.5 3.2 3.8 7.3 1.6 0.6 2.8 2.5 6.2 13.6 .458 1.1 2.9 .371 3.7 5.1 .727
difference:+26+13.4+9.6+0.2+1.5+1.8+6.2+0.9+0.5-1.8-0.9+3.6+6.9+.065+0.2+0.4+2.2+3.3+.095
J.R. Smith 55 18.0 7.7 0.3 1.7 2.0 1.1 0.7 0.1 1.0 1.6 2.6 6.7 .393 0.9 2.5 .371 1.5 1.8 .822
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher De'Aaron Fox nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2019-202006-07
Team Sacramento KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 51 32.0 21.1 0.7 3.2 3.8 6.8 1.5 0.5 3.1 2.8 7.7 16.0 .480 1.1 3.6 .292 4.7 6.7 .705
difference:+12+8.7+8.1+0.2+1.4+1.5+5.4+0.7+0.4-1.8-0.5+3.2+5.8+.039+1.3+2.5+.098+3.1+4.7+.105
J.R. Smith 63 23.3 13.0 0.5 1.8 2.3 1.4 0.8 0.1 1.3 2.3 4.5 10.2 .441 2.4 6.1 .390 1.6 2.0 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 4 11.8 4.5 0.3 2.0 2.3 0.5 1.0 0.3 0.8 1.5 1.5 5.5 .273 0.0 3.0 .000 1.5 1.5 1.000

Season 4

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2020-212007-08
Team Sacramento KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 58 35.1 25.2 0.6 2.9 3.5 7.2 1.5 0.5 3.0 2.9 9.1 19.1 .477 1.8 5.5 .322 5.2 7.2 .719
difference:+16+15.9+12.9+1.4+1.4+5.5+0.7+0.3-1.5-1.0+4.9+10.0+.016+0.3+0.2+.081+3.5+4.8
J.R. Smith 74 19.2 12.3 0.6 1.5 2.1 1.7 0.8 0.2 1.5 1.9 4.2 9.1 .461 2.1 5.3 .403 1.7 2.4 .719
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 4 27.0 18.3 0.3 1.5 1.8 1.8 1.0 0.0 1.3 3.0 5.8 10.8 .535 1.8 5.5 .318 5.0 6.0 .833

Season 5

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2021-222008-09
Team Sacramento KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 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%
De'Aaron Fox 59 35.3 23.2 0.4 3.5 3.9 5.6 1.2 0.4 2.8 2.9 8.7 18.5 .473 1.3 4.2 .297 4.4 5.9 .750
difference:+22+7.6+8.0+0.1+0.4+0.2+2.8+0.2+0.2-0.9-0.6+3.5+6.8+.027+0.9+1.4+.100+1.9+2.5+.004
J.R. Smith 81 27.7 15.2 0.5 3.1 3.7 2.8 1.0 0.2 1.9 2.3 5.2 11.7 .446 2.2 5.6 .397 2.5 3.4 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 16 27.2 14.9 0.7 2.6 3.3 2.8 1.1 0.3 1.6 3.2 5.5 12.1 .454 2.4 6.6 .358 1.6 2.9 .543

Season 6

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2022-232009-10
Team Sacramento KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement Clutch Player of the Year-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Kings Lost West Conf 1st RdNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 73 33.4 25.0 0.5 3.6 4.2 6.1 1.1 0.3 2.5 2.4 9.3 18.2 .512 1.6 5.0 .324 4.7 6.0 .780
difference:+2+5.6+9.6+0.1+0.9+1.1+3.7+0.2-0.6-0.1+3.6+4.4+.098+0.5+1.2+.014+2.8+3.3+.074
J.R. Smith 75 27.8 15.4 0.4 2.7 3.1 2.4 1.3 0.3 1.9 2.3 5.7 13.8 .414 2.1 6.2 .338 1.9 2.7 .706
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 7 38.6 27.4 1.7 3.7 5.4 7.7 2.1 0.6 4.0 3.3 10.0 23.6 .424 3.0 9.0 .333 4.4 5.9 .756
difference:+1+12.1+16.2+0.9+0.7+1.6+6.0+1.4+0.3-3.0-0.5+6.5+14.1+.056+1.2+3.8+.022+2.1+3.2+.119
J.R. Smith 6 26.5 11.2 0.8 3.0 3.8 1.7 0.7 0.3 1.0 2.8 3.5 9.5 .368 1.8 5.2 .355 2.3 2.7 .875

Season 7

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2023-242010-11
Team Sacramento KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 74 35.9 26.6 0.9 3.7 4.6 5.6 2.0 0.4 2.6 2.6 9.7 20.9 .465 2.9 7.8 .369 4.2 5.7 .738
difference:+5+11.0+14.3+0.3+0.2+0.5+3.4+0.8+0.2-1.3-0.4+5.4+11.0+.030+1.3+3.8+.021+2.1+2.9
J.R. Smith 79 24.9 12.3 0.6 3.5 4.1 2.2 1.2 0.2 1.3 2.2 4.3 9.9 .435 1.6 4.0 .390 2.1 2.8 .738
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 5 15.2 9.8 0.2 1.8 2.0 1.0 0.4 0.0 1.6 1.6 3.2 9.0 .356 1.8 4.2 .429 1.6 2.2 .727

Season 8

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2024-252011-12
Team Sacramento Kings, San Antonio SpursNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayKnicks Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 62 36.1 23.5 0.9 3.9 4.8 6.3 1.5 0.4 2.8 2.6 8.7 18.8 .463 1.9 6.1 .310 4.2 5.1 .827
difference:+27+8.5+11.0+0.1+0.8+0.9+3.9+0.2-1.5-0.1+4.0+7.2+.056+0.6+.037+3.1+3.5+.118
J.R. Smith 35 27.6 12.5 0.8 3.1 3.9 2.4 1.5 0.2 1.3 2.5 4.7 11.6 .407 1.9 5.5 .347 1.1 1.6 .709
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 5 35.0 12.2 0.4 2.2 2.6 2.2 1.2 0.2 2.2 3.8 4.8 15.2 .316 1.0 5.6 .179 1.6 1.6 1.000

Season 9

De'Aaron Fox J.R. Smith
Season 2025-262012-13
Team San Antonio SpursNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards -Achievement Sixth Man of the Year
Playoffs Did Not PlayKnicks Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox 8 33.5 23.5 1.1 2.5 3.6 6.1 1.3 0.3 3.3 3.0 8.4 16.4 .511 2.4 6.3 .380 4.4 5.4 .814
difference:+72+5.4+0.3+2.0+1.7+3.4-1.6-0.2+1.8+0.8+.089+0.5+0.8+.024+1.4+1.5+.052
J.R. Smith 80 33.5 18.1 0.8 4.5 5.3 2.7 1.3 0.3 1.7 2.8 6.6 15.6 .422 1.9 5.5 .356 3.0 3.9 .762
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
De'Aaron Fox DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 11 31.9 14.3 0.5 4.2 4.7 1.4 1.0 0.5 1.8 2.5 4.9 14.8 .331 1.6 6.0 .273 2.8 3.9 .721

Additional Years

* J.R. Smith played 7 seasons more than De'Aaron Fox in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 10 to 16, from 2014 to 2020—J.R. Smith played in 5 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.