Dereck Lively II vs. Ja Morant Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ja Morant 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, 4 less than Ja Morant, who played 6. Dereck Lively II had the first of his seasons in 2023-24, while Ja Morant 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
Dereck Lively II 2 1 2023-24 to 2024-25
Ja Morant 6 4 2019-20 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

Rookie Season

Dereck Lively II Ja Morant
Season 2023-242019-20
Team Dallas MavericksMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Mavericks Lost NBA FinalsDid 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%
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:+12+7.5+9.0+1.7+1.3+3.0+6.2+0.2+1.1-2.4-1.0+2.7+8.6+.270+0.9+2.7+2.9+3.1+.270
Ja Morant 67 31.0 17.8 0.8 3.1 3.9 7.3 0.9 0.3 3.3 1.6 6.7 14.0 .477 0.9 2.7 .335 3.6 4.6 .776
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
Ja Morant DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2

Dereck Lively II Ja Morant
Season 2024-252020-21
Team Dallas MavericksMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayGrizzlies Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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:+27+9.5+10.4+2.0+1.5+3.5+5.0+0.3+1.4-2.1-1.4+3.1+9.9+.253+1.2+3.8+3.0+3.9+.098
Ja Morant 63 32.6 19.1 0.9 3.1 4.0 7.4 0.9 0.2 3.2 1.4 6.8 15.2 .449 1.2 3.8 .303 4.3 5.9 .728
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dereck Lively II DNP------ --- ----------
Ja Morant 5 40.6 30.2 1.4 3.4 4.8 8.2 0.4 0.0 3.4 1.8 11.0 22.6 .487 2.0 6.2 .323 6.2 8.0 .775

Additional Years

* Ja Morant played 4 seasons more than Dereck Lively II in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 3 to 6, from 2022 to 2025—Ja Morant played in 3 Playoffs.

In those 4 extra years over Dereck Lively II, Ja Morant got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 Most Improved Player
Achievement 2 All-Star Game