Don Buse vs. Jayson Tatum Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jayson Tatum and Don Buse, 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.

Don Buse played 9 years in the NBA, 2 more than Jayson Tatum, who played 7. Don Buse had the first of his seasons in 1976-77, 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 achivements, 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
Don Buse 9 6 1976-77 to 1984-85
Jayson Tatum 7 7 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1976-772017-18
Team Indiana PacersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement Assists Leader-
Achievement Steals Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 81 36.4 8.0 0.8 2.5 3.3 8.5 3.5 0.2 - 1.6 3.3 7.9 .416 - - - 1.4 1.8 .786
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1977-782018-19
Team Phoenix SunsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf 1st RdCeltics Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 82 31.1 8.4 0.7 2.3 3.0 4.8 2.3 0.2 1.5 1.8 3.5 7.6 .458 - - - 1.4 1.7 .824
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 2 38.0 4.0 0.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.5 1.5 2.0 5.5 .364 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1978-792019-20
Team Phoenix SunsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf FinalsCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 82 31.0 7.8 0.5 2.1 2.6 4.3 1.9 0.2 1.2 1.8 3.5 7.0 .495 - - - 0.9 1.1 .769
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 15 34.1 7.9 1.1 2.5 3.7 3.5 1.5 0.3 1.0 2.1 3.1 7.7 .405 - - - 1.6 2.2 .727
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1979-802020-21
Team Phoenix SunsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf SemisCeltics Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 81 30.9 7.7 0.9 2.0 2.9 4.0 1.6 0.1 1.1 1.4 3.2 7.3 .443 0.2 1.0 .241 1.0 1.6 .664
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 8 29.5 8.5 1.0 1.6 2.6 5.5 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.9 3.5 8.0 .438 0.6 1.6 .385 0.9 1.4 .636
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1980-812021-22
Team Indiana PacersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 58 18.9 5.1 0.3 1.1 1.4 2.4 1.3 0.1 0.7 1.1 2.0 4.9 .397 0.3 1.0 .328 0.9 1.1 .769
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 2 17.5 2.5 0.0 2.5 2.5 3.5 1.5 0.0 1.0 2.0 0.5 4.0 .125 0.5 2.0 .250 1.0 1.0 1.000
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1981-822022-23
Team Indiana PacersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 82 30.8 9.7 0.6 2.2 2.7 5.0 2.0 0.3 1.2 2.1 3.8 8.4 .455 0.9 2.3 .386 1.2 1.5 .813
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
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
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1982-832023-24
Team Portland Trail BlazersBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf SemisCeltics TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 41 15.7 4.7 0.5 0.9 1.3 2.8 1.1 0.0 0.6 1.5 1.8 4.4 .396 0.2 0.9 .257 1.0 1.1 .891
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 TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 5 6.2 1.4 0.0 0.4 0.4 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.6 .250 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 0.8 .750
Jayson Tatum 10 39.2 24.3 0.6 9.8 10.4 5.8 1.0 0.8 2.1 2.8 7.7 17.9 .430 1.8 6.4 .281 7.1 8.2 .866

Season 8
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1983-84-
Team Kansas City Kings-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Kings Lost West Conf 1st Rd-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 76 17.5 5.0 0.4 1.1 1.5 4.0 1.1 0.0 1.1 0.8 2.0 4.6 .426 0.2 0.8 .305 0.8 1.1 .788
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 3 16.7 7.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 3.7 0.3 0.3 1.0 1.7 2.3 5.3 .438 1.0 2.0 .500 1.3 2.0 .667
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Don Buse Jayson Tatum
Season 1984-85-
Team Kansas City Kings-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 65 14.4 3.4 0.3 0.6 0.9 3.1 0.6 0.0 0.7 1.2 1.3 3.1 .404 0.5 1.3 .356 0.4 0.5 .767
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Jayson Tatum ------- --- ----------
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