Dereck Lively II vs. Ben Simmons Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ben Simmons and Dereck Lively II, 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.

Dereck Lively II played 2 years in the NBA, 5 less than Ben Simmons, who played 7. Dereck Lively II had the first of his seasons in 2023-24, while Ben Simmons 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
Dereck Lively II 2 1 2023-24 to 2024-25
Ben Simmons 7 4 2017-18 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

Rookie Season

Dereck Lively II Ben Simmons
Season 2023-242017-18
Team Dallas MavericksPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Mavericks Lost NBA Finals76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dereck Lively II 55 23.5 8.8 2.5 4.4 6.9 1.1 0.7 1.4 0.9 2.6 4.0 5.4 .747 0.0 0.0 - 0.7 1.5 .506
difference:+26+10.2+7.0+0.7+1.9+1.2+7.1+1.0+0.5-2.5+2.7+6.9+.202+0.1+1.7+2.7+.054
Ben Simmons 81 33.7 15.8 1.8 6.3 8.1 8.2 1.7 0.9 3.4 2.6 6.7 12.3 .545 0.0 0.1 .000 2.4 4.2 .560
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dereck Lively II 21 22.0 7.9 2.7 4.7 7.4 1.3 0.4 1.0 1.0 2.3 3.0 4.5 .674 0.0 0.0 - 1.7 2.9 .590
difference:+11+14.9+8.4+1.1+3.1+2.0+6.4+1.3+0.2-3.4-1.1+3.1+8.0+.186+0.1+2.4+2.9+.117
Ben Simmons 10 36.9 16.3 1.6 7.8 9.4 7.7 1.7 0.8 4.4 3.4 6.1 12.5 .488 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 5.8 .707

Season 2

Dereck Lively II Ben Simmons
Season 2024-252018-19
Team Dallas MavericksPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers 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%
Dereck Lively II 36 23.1 8.7 2.9 4.6 7.5 2.4 0.6 1.6 1.1 2.8 3.7 5.3 .702 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 2.0 .630
difference:+43+11.1+8.2+0.7+2.0+1.3+5.3+0.8+0.8-2.4-0.2+3.1+6.9+.139+0.1+2.0+3.4+.030
Ben Simmons 79 34.2 16.9 2.2 6.6 8.8 7.7 1.4 0.8 3.5 2.6 6.8 12.2 .563 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 5.4 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dereck Lively II DNP------ --- ----------
Ben Simmons 12 35.1 13.9 1.9 5.1 7.0 6.0 1.3 1.0 2.7 3.8 6.0 9.7 .621 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.3 .575

Additional Years

* Ben Simmons played 5 seasons more than Dereck Lively II in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 3 to 7, from 2020 to 2025—Ben Simmons played in two Playoffs.

In those 5 extra years over Dereck Lively II, Ben Simmons got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 2 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 1 Steals Leader
Achievement 2 All-Star Game