DeMarcus Cousins vs. Zion Williamson Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Zion Williamson 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
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, 6 more than Zion Williamson, who played 5. DeMarcus Cousins had the first of his seasons in 2010-11, while Zion Williamson had his rookie season in 2019-20. 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 |
| Zion Williamson | 5 | 0 | 2019-20 to 2024-25 |
Rookie Season |
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| DeMarcus Cousins | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2010-11 | 2019-20 |
| Team | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards |  All-Rookie First Team | All-Rookie First Team |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | 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: | +57 | +0.7 | +8.4 | +2.4 | +2.3 | +0.4 | +0.3 | +0.4 | -0.8 | -2.3 | +3.5 | +2.6 | +.153 | +0.3 | +0.4 | +.262 | +1.4 | +2.4 | +.047 | |
| Zion Williamson | 24 | 27.8 | 22.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 8.8 | 15.0 | .583 | 0.3 | 0.6 | .429 | 4.8 | 7.4 | .640 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher DeMarcus Cousins nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2 |
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| DeMarcus Cousins | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2011-12 | 2020-21 |
| Team | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-Star Game |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | 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: | +3 | +2.7 | +8.9 | +1.4 | +2.3 | +3.8 | +2.1 | +0.6 | +0.6 | -1.8 | +3.4 | +1.4 | +.163 | +0.2 | +0.4 | +.151 | +1.9 | +2.9 | +.004 | |
| Zion Williamson | 61 | 33.2 | 27.0 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 10.4 | 17.0 | .611 | 0.2 | 0.6 | .294 | 6.0 | 8.7 | .698 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher DeMarcus Cousins nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Zion Williamson didn't play in 2021-22.
Season 3 |
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| DeMarcus Cousins | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2012-13 | 2022-23 |
| Team | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-Star Game |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | 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: | +46 | +2.5 | +8.9 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +2.9 | +1.9 | +0.3 | +0.1 | -0.4 | -1.4 | +3.4 | +2.4 | +.143 | +0.1 | +0.4 | +.186 | +1.9 | +3.0 | +.024 |
| Zion Williamson | 29 | 33.0 | 26.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 9.8 | 16.2 | .608 | 0.2 | 0.7 | .368 | 6.1 | 8.6 | .714 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher DeMarcus Cousins nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 4 |
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| DeMarcus Cousins | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2013-14 | 2023-24 |
| Team | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | ||
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | 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: | +1 | +0.9 | +0.2 | +1.4 | +4.5 | +5.9 | +2.1 | +0.4 | +0.6 | -0.7 | -1.5 | +0.6 | +1.2 | +.074 | +0.1 | +0.2 | +.333 | +1.1 | +1.3 | +.024 |
| Zion Williamson | 70 | 31.5 | 22.9 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 8.9 | 15.6 | .570 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .333 | 5.0 | 7.1 | .702 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher DeMarcus Cousins nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 5 |
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| DeMarcus Cousins | Zion Williamson | |
| Season | 2014-15 | 2024-25 |
| Team | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Honors & Awards | All-NBA Second Team | - |
| All-Star Game | - | |
| Playoffs | Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | 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: | +29 | +5.5 | +0.5 | +0.6 | +4.8 | +5.5 | +1.7 | +0.3 | +0.8 | -1.3 | -1.4 | +1.2 | +1.2 | +.100 | +0.1 | +0.3 | +.019 | +1.9 | +1.2 | +.126 |
| Zion Williamson | 30 | 28.6 | 24.6 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 9.6 | 16.9 | .567 | 0.1 | 0.4 | .231 | 5.3 | 8.0 | .656 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher DeMarcus Cousins nor Zion Williamson played in the postseason in their season 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Additional Years |
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* DeMarcus Cousins played 6 seasons more than Zion Williamson in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 6 to 11, from 2016 to 2022—DeMarcus Cousins played in 3 Playoffs. In those 6 extra years over Zion Williamson, DeMarcus Cousins got these achievements: | |
| Honors & Awards | 1 All-NBA Second Team 3 All-Star Game |