Elfrid Payton vs. David Thompson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of David Thompson and Elfrid Payton, 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.

Elfrid Payton and David Thompson both played 8 years in the NBA. Elfrid Payton had the first of his seasons in 2014-15, while David Thompson had his rookie season in 1976-77. 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
Elfrid Payton 8 2 2014-15 to 2021-22
David Thompson 8 5 1976-77 to 1983-84

Comparison Season by Season

Rookie Season

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2014-151976-77
Team Orlando MagicDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 82 30.4 8.9 1.3 3.0 4.3 6.5 1.7 0.2 2.5 2.4 3.7 8.6 .425 0.1 0.5 .262 1.4 2.6 .551
David Thompson 82 36.6 25.9 1.7 2.4 4.1 4.1 1.4 0.6 - 2.9 10.0 19.8 .507 - - - 5.8 7.6 .766
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson 6 39.5 24.7 2.2 3.0 5.2 4.0 1.5 0.7 - 3.7 9.3 20.2 .463 - - - 6.0 8.8 .679

Season 2

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2015-161977-78
Team Orlando MagicDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 73 29.4 10.7 1.1 2.5 3.6 6.4 1.2 0.3 2.4 2.2 4.4 10.0 .436 0.4 1.3 .326 1.5 2.6 .589
David Thompson 80 37.8 27.2 2.0 2.9 4.9 4.5 1.2 1.2 3.1 2.7 10.3 19.8 .521 - - - 6.5 8.4 .778
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson 13 37.0 25.2 1.4 2.7 4.1 4.0 0.7 1.6 3.0 2.6 10.1 22.4 .450 - - - 5.1 6.2 .825

Season 3

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2016-171978-79
Team Orlando MagicDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game NVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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 %
Elfrid Payton 82 29.4 12.8 1.1 3.6 4.7 6.5 1.1 0.5 2.2 2.2 5.2 11.1 .471 0.5 1.8 .274 1.8 2.6 .692
David Thompson 76 35.1 24.0 1.4 2.2 3.6 3.0 0.9 1.1 2.4 2.4 9.1 17.8 .512 - - - 5.8 7.7 .753
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson 3 40.7 28.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 4.0 1.3 0.3 4.0 4.0 12.7 23.0 .551 - - - 2.7 3.7 .727

Season 4

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2017-181979-80
Team Orlando Magic, Phoenix SunsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 63 28.7 12.7 1.0 3.3 4.3 6.2 1.3 0.3 2.7 2.3 5.2 10.6 .493 0.5 1.5 .326 1.7 2.7 .649
David Thompson 39 31.8 21.5 1.4 3.0 4.5 3.2 1.0 1.0 3.0 2.7 7.4 15.8 .468 0.2 0.5 .368 6.5 8.6 .758
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson ------- --- ----------

Season 5

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2018-191980-81
Team New Orleans PelicansDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 42 29.8 10.6 1.2 4.1 5.2 7.6 1.0 0.4 2.7 1.9 4.3 9.8 .434 0.8 2.5 .314 1.3 1.8 .743
David Thompson 77 34.0 25.5 1.4 2.3 3.7 3.0 0.7 0.8 3.2 3.0 9.5 18.8 .506 0.1 0.5 .256 6.4 8.0 .795
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2019-201981-82
Team New York KnicksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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 %
Elfrid Payton 45 27.7 10.0 1.2 3.6 4.7 7.2 1.6 0.4 2.1 2.0 4.3 9.8 .439 0.3 1.5 .203 1.1 1.9 .570
David Thompson 61 20.4 14.9 0.9 1.5 2.4 1.9 0.6 0.5 2.3 2.4 5.1 10.6 .486 0.1 0.2 .286 4.5 5.6 .814
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton ------- --- ----------
David Thompson 3 22.0 11.7 1.3 2.0 3.3 2.0 0.3 0.0 2.7 2.7 5.0 11.0 .455 0.3 1.0 .333 1.3 2.3 .571

Season 7

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2020-211982-83
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf 1st RdSupersonics 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 %
Elfrid Payton 63 23.6 10.1 1.0 2.4 3.4 3.2 0.7 0.1 1.6 1.8 4.3 9.9 .432 0.4 1.6 .286 1.2 1.7 .682
David Thompson 75 28.7 15.9 1.3 2.3 3.6 3.0 0.6 0.4 2.2 1.9 5.9 12.3 .481 0.0 0.1 .200 4.0 5.1 .784
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 2 6.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 2.5 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 1.0 .500
David Thompson 2 32.5 12.0 0.0 0.0 0 3.5 0.5 0.5 2.0 3.5 4.5 12.5 .360 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 5.0 .600

Season 8

Elfrid Payton David Thompson
Season 2021-221983-84
Team Phoenix SunsSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Suns Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 50 11.0 3.0 0.4 1.3 1.8 2.0 0.5 0.1 0.9 0.8 1.3 3.5 .383 0.1 0.4 .222 0.2 0.6 .375
David Thompson 19 18.4 12.6 0.9 1.4 2.3 0.7 0.5 0.7 1.4 1.6 4.7 8.7 .539 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 3.8 .849
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Elfrid Payton 2 4.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.5 .667 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
David Thompson ------- --- ----------