Dereck Lively II vs. Kevin McHale Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kevin McHale 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

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, 11 less than Kevin McHale, who played 13. Dereck Lively II had the first of his seasons in 2023-24, while Kevin McHale had his rookie season in 1980-81. 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
Kevin McHale 13 13 1980-81 to 1992-93

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2

Rookie Season
Dereck Lively II Kevin McHale
Season 2023-241980-81
Team Dallas MavericksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Mavericks Lost NBA FinalsNBA Champion NBA Champion
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:+27+3.4+1.2+0.6+1.9+2.5+0.4+0.4+0.4-0.4-0.6+0.3+2.7+.214+0.6+0.4+.173
Kevin McHale 82 20.1 10.0 1.9 2.5 4.4 0.7 0.3 1.8 1.3 3.2 4.3 8.1 .533 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 1.9 .679
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:+4+4.6+0.6+1.0+2.9+3.9+0.5+0.2+0.5-0.1-0.7+0.6+2.1+.134+0.3+0.8+.049
Kevin McHale 17 17.4 8.5 1.7 1.8 3.5 0.8 0.2 1.5 0.9 3.0 3.6 6.6 .540 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.1 .639

Season 2
Dereck Lively II Kevin McHale
Season 2024-251981-82
Team Dallas MavericksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
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:+46+5.3+4.9+0.6+0.1+0.7+1.3+0.2+0.7-0.6-0.4+2.0+5.4+.171+1.0+1.0+.124
Kevin McHale 82 28.4 13.6 2.3 4.5 6.8 1.1 0.4 2.3 1.7 3.2 5.7 10.7 .531 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 3.0 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dereck Lively II DNP------ --- ----------
Kevin McHale 12 28.7 16.2 3.4 3.7 7.1 0.9 0.4 2.3 1.3 3.7 6.4 11.2 .575 0.0 0.0 - 3.3 4.4 .755

Additional Years

* Kevin McHale played 11 seasons more than Dereck Lively II in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 3 to 13, from 1983 to 1993—Kevin McHale played in 11 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 11 extra years over Dereck Lively II, Kevin McHale got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 3 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 3 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 2 Sixth Man of the Year
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
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