DeMarcus Cousins vs. Jayson Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jayson Tatum and DeMarcus Cousins, 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.

DeMarcus Cousins played 11 years in the NBA, 3 more than Jayson Tatum, who played 8. DeMarcus Cousins had the first of his seasons in 2010-11, while Jayson Tatum had his rookie season in 2017-18. 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
DeMarcus Cousins 11 3 2010-11 to 2021-22
Jayson Tatum 8 8 2017-18 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

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

Rookie Season

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2010-112017-18
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 81 28.5 14.1 2.7 6.0 8.6 2.5 1.0 0.8 3.3 4.1 5.3 12.4 .430 0.0 0.2 .167 3.4 5.0 .687
difference:+1+2.0+0.2+2.1+1.6+3.6+0.9+0.1-1.9-2.0+0.3+2.0+.045+1.3+2.8+.267+0.7+1.8+.139
Jayson Tatum 80 30.5 13.9 0.6 4.4 5.0 1.6 1.0 0.7 1.4 2.1 5.0 10.4 .475 1.3 3.0 .434 2.7 3.2 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 19 35.9 18.5 0.5 3.8 4.4 2.7 1.2 0.5 2.2 2.6 6.5 13.7 .471 1.2 3.7 .324 4.3 5.1 .845

Season 2

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2011-122018-19
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 64 30.5 18.1 4.1 6.8 11.0 1.6 1.5 1.2 2.7 4.0 7.0 15.6 .448 0.0 0.2 .143 4.1 5.8 .702
difference:+15+0.6+2.4+3.2+1.6+5.0+0.5+0.4+0.5-1.2-1.9+1.1+2.5+.002+1.5+3.7+.230+1.6+2.9+.153
Jayson Tatum 79 31.1 15.7 0.9 5.2 6.0 2.1 1.1 0.7 1.5 2.1 5.9 13.1 .450 1.5 3.9 .373 2.5 2.9 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 9 32.8 15.2 0.8 5.9 6.7 1.9 1.1 0.8 2.0 2.3 5.4 12.4 .438 1.1 3.4 .323 3.2 4.3 .744

Season 3

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2012-132019-20
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 75 30.5 17.1 3.0 7.0 9.9 2.7 1.4 0.7 3.0 3.6 6.4 13.8 .465 0.1 0.3 .182 4.2 5.6 .738
difference:+9+3.8+6.3+2.0+1.0+2.9+0.3+0.2-0.7-1.5+2.0+4.8+.015+2.8+6.8+.221+0.4+0.9+.074
Jayson Tatum 66 34.3 23.4 1.0 6.0 7.0 3.0 1.4 0.9 2.3 2.1 8.4 18.6 .450 2.9 7.1 .403 3.8 4.7 .812
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 17 40.6 25.7 1.3 8.7 10.0 5.0 1.0 1.2 2.8 2.4 8.5 19.6 .434 2.8 7.4 .373 5.9 7.2 .813

Season 4

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2013-142020-21
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East 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%
DeMarcus Cousins 71 32.4 22.7 3.1 8.6 11.7 2.9 1.5 1.3 3.5 3.8 8.3 16.8 .496 0.0 0.1 .000 6.1 8.4 .726
difference:+7+3.4+3.7+2.3+2.0+4.3+1.4+0.3+0.8-0.8-1.9+1.2+3.8+.037+2.9+7.5+.386+1.5+3.1+.142
Jayson Tatum 64 35.8 26.4 0.8 6.6 7.4 4.3 1.2 0.5 2.7 1.9 9.5 20.6 .459 2.9 7.6 .386 4.6 5.3 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 5 37.0 30.6 0.6 5.2 5.8 4.6 1.2 1.6 2.6 3.0 9.4 22.2 .423 2.8 7.2 .389 9.0 9.8 .918

Season 5

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2014-152021-22
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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%
DeMarcus Cousins 59 34.1 24.1 3.1 9.5 12.7 3.6 1.5 1.7 4.3 4.1 8.4 18.1 .467 0.0 0.1 .250 7.2 9.2 .782
difference:+17+1.8+2.8+2.0+2.6+4.7+0.8+0.5+1.1-1.4-1.8+0.9+2.5+.014+3.0+8.5+.103+1.9+3.0+.071
Jayson Tatum 76 35.9 26.9 1.1 6.9 8.0 4.4 1.0 0.6 2.9 2.3 9.3 20.6 .453 3.0 8.6 .353 5.3 6.2 .853
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 24 41.0 25.6 1.0 5.7 6.7 6.2 1.2 0.9 4.2 3.0 8.4 19.7 .426 3.2 8.2 .393 5.7 7.1 .800

Season 6

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2015-162022-23
Team Sacramento KingsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 65 34.6 26.9 2.4 9.1 11.5 3.3 1.6 1.4 3.8 3.6 9.2 20.5 .451 1.1 3.2 .333 7.3 10.2 .718
difference:+9+2.3+3.2+1.3+1.4+2.7+1.3+0.5+0.7-0.9-1.4+0.6+0.6+.015+2.1+6.1+.017+0.1+1.8+.136
Jayson Tatum 74 36.9 30.1 1.1 7.7 8.8 4.6 1.1 0.7 2.9 2.2 9.8 21.1 .466 3.2 9.3 .350 7.2 8.4 .854
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 20 40.0 27.2 1.3 9.2 10.5 5.3 1.1 1.1 2.8 2.2 9.3 20.2 .458 2.7 8.2 .323 6.0 6.9 .876

Season 7

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2016-172023-24
Team Sacramento Kings, New Orleans PelicansBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 72 34.2 27.0 2.1 8.9 11.0 4.6 1.4 1.3 3.7 3.9 9.0 19.9 .452 1.8 5.0 .361 7.2 9.3 .772
difference:+2+1.5+0.1+1.2+1.7+2.9+0.3+0.4+0.7-1.2-1.9+0.1+0.6+.019+1.3+3.2+.015+1.6+2.6+.061
Jayson Tatum 74 35.7 26.9 0.9 7.2 8.1 4.9 1.0 0.6 2.5 2.0 9.1 19.3 .471 3.1 8.2 .376 5.6 6.7 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 19 40.4 25.0 0.9 8.8 9.7 6.3 1.1 0.7 2.6 2.8 8.4 19.6 .427 2.1 7.3 .283 6.2 7.2 .861

Season 8

DeMarcus Cousins Jayson Tatum
Season 2017-182024-25
Team New Orleans PelicansBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins 48 36.2 25.2 2.2 10.7 12.9 5.4 1.6 1.6 5.0 3.8 8.5 18.0 .470 2.2 6.1 .354 6.1 8.2 .746
difference:+24+0.2+1.6+1.5+2.7+4.2+0.6+0.5+1.1-2.1-1.6+0.7+2.3+.018+1.3+4.0+.011+1.1+2.1+.068
Jayson Tatum 72 36.4 26.8 0.7 8.0 8.7 6.0 1.1 0.5 2.9 2.2 9.2 20.3 .452 3.5 10.1 .343 5.0 6.1 .814
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
DeMarcus Cousins DNP------ --- ----------
Jayson Tatum 8 40.3 28.1 1.1 10.4 11.5 5.4 2.1 0.8 3.3 2.6 9.3 21.9 .423 3.6 9.8 .372 6.0 6.8 .889

Additional Years

* DeMarcus Cousins played 3 seasons more than Jayson Tatum in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 9 to 11, from 2019 to 2022—DeMarcus Cousins played in 3 Playoffs.