Goran Dragic vs. Yao Ming Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Yao Ming and Goran Dragic, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

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.

Goran Dragic played 15 years in the NBA, 7 more than Yao Ming, who played 8. Goran Dragic had the first of his seasons in 2008-09, while Yao Ming had his rookie season in 2002-03. 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.

Rookie Season
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2008-09	2002-03
Team	Phoenix Suns	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-Rookie First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Did not play

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	55	13.2	4.5	0.6	1.3	1.9	2.0	0.5	0.1	1.3	1.6	1.6	4.1	.393	0.4	1.0	.370	0.9	1.2	.769
difference:	+27	+15.8	+9.0	+1.8	+4.5	+6.3	+0.3	+0.1	+1.7	-0.8	-1.2	+3.3	+5.7	+.105	+0.4	+1.0		+2.8	+3.3	+.042
Yao Ming	82	29.0	13.5	2.4	5.8	8.2	1.7	0.4	1.8	2.1	2.8	4.9	9.8	.498	0.0	0.0	-	3.7	4.5	.811
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Goran Dragic nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2009-10	2003-04
Team	Phoenix Suns	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Suns Lost West Conf Finals	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	80	18.0	7.9	0.5	1.7	2.1	3.0	0.6	0.1	1.6	1.6	2.8	6.1	.452	0.9	2.4	.394	1.5	2.0	.736
difference:	+2	+14.8	+9.6	+1.9	+4.9	+6.9	+1.5	+0.3	+1.8	-0.9	-1.7	+3.7	+6.4	+.070	+0.9	+2.4		+2.9	+3.4	+.073
Yao Ming	82	32.8	17.5	2.4	6.6	9.0	1.5	0.3	1.9	2.5	3.3	6.5	12.5	.522	0.0	0.0	-	4.4	5.4	.809
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	16	14.8	7.6	0.6	1.2	1.8	2.3	0.3	0.1	1.0	1.1	2.7	6.3	.430	0.8	2.5	.325	1.4	1.9	.742
difference:	+11	+22.8	+7.4	+1.6	+4.0	+5.6	+0.5	+0.1	+1.3	-1.6	-2.9	+3.5	+7.3	+.026	+0.8	+2.5		+1.2	+1.5	+.023
Yao Ming	5	37.6	15.0	2.2	5.2	7.4	1.8	0.4	1.4	2.6	4.0	6.2	13.6	.456	0.0	0.0	-	2.6	3.4	.765

Season 3
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2010-11	2004-05
Team	Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	70	17.6	7.5	0.5	1.5	2.0	2.9	0.7	0.1	1.7	1.8	2.7	6.3	.435	0.8	2.2	.361	1.2	1.9	.624
difference:	+10	+13.0	+10.8	+2.1	+4.3	+6.4	+2.1	+0.3	+1.9	-0.8	-1.9	+4.0	+5.9	+.117	+0.8	+2.2		+3.7	+4.3	+.159
Yao Ming	80	30.6	18.3	2.6	5.8	8.4	0.8	0.4	2.0	2.5	3.7	6.7	12.2	.552	0.0	0.0	-	4.9	6.2	.783
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	7	31.9	21.4	3.3	4.4	7.7	0.7	0.3	2.7	2.7	4.4	7.9	12.0	.655	0.0	0.0	-	5.7	7.9	.727

Season 4
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2011-12	2005-06
Team	Houston Rockets	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Did not play

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	66	26.5	11.7	0.8	1.7	2.5	5.3	1.3	0.2	2.4	2.5	4.2	9.1	.462	1.0	3.1	.337	2.3	2.9	.805
difference:	+9	+7.7	+10.6	+1.8	+5.9	+7.7	+3.8	+0.8	+1.4	-0.2	-0.9	+4.0	+6.7	+.057	+1.0	+3.1		+3.6	+4.0	+.048
Yao Ming	57	34.2	22.3	2.6	7.6	10.2	1.5	0.5	1.6	2.6	3.4	8.2	15.8	.519	0.0	0.0	-	5.9	6.9	.853
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Goran Dragic nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 4

Season 5
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2012-13	2006-07
Team	Phoenix Suns	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	77	33.5	14.7	0.8	2.3	3.1	7.4	1.6	0.3	2.8	2.8	5.2	11.8	.443	1.1	3.6	.319	3.2	4.2	.748
difference:	+29	+0.3	+10.3	+1.3	+5.0	+6.3	+5.4	+1.2	+1.7	-0.7	-0.5	+3.6	+5.3	+.073	+1.1	+3.6		+4.2	+4.4	+.114
Yao Ming	48	33.8	25.0	2.1	7.3	9.4	2.0	0.4	2.0	3.5	3.3	8.8	17.1	.516	0.0	0.0	-	7.4	8.6	.862
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	7	37.1	25.1	3.3	7.0	10.3	0.9	0.1	0.7	4.7	3.9	7.9	17.9	.440	0.0	0.0	-	9.4	10.7	.880

Season 6
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2013-14	2007-08
Team	Phoenix Suns	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	All-NBA Third Team
	Most Improved Player	-
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Did not play

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	76	35.1	20.3	0.9	2.3	3.2	5.9	1.4	0.3	2.8	2.7	7.3	14.4	.505	1.6	3.9	.408	4.2	5.5	.760
difference:	+21	+2.1	+1.7	+2.2	+5.4	+7.6	+3.6	+0.9	+1.7	-0.5	-0.4	+0.6	+1.1	+.002	+1.6	+3.9		+2.1	+1.9	+.090
Yao Ming	55	37.2	22.0	3.1	7.7	10.8	2.3	0.5	2.0	3.3	3.1	7.9	15.5	.507	0.0	0.0	-	6.3	7.4	.850
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Goran Dragic nor Yao Ming played in the postseason in their season 6

Season 7
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2014-15	2008-09
Team	Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did not play	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	78	33.8	16.3	1.0	2.5	3.5	4.5	1.0	0.2	2.2	2.5	6.4	12.8	.501	1.2	3.3	.347	2.3	3.0	.774
difference:	+1	+0.2	+3.4	+1.6	+4.7	+6.4	+2.7	+0.6	+1.7	-0.8	-0.8	+1.0	+0.6	+.047	+1.2	+3.3		+2.6	+2.7	+.092
Yao Ming	77	33.6	19.7	2.6	7.2	9.9	1.8	0.4	1.9	3.0	3.3	7.4	13.4	.548	0.0	0.0	-	4.9	5.7	.866
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yao Ming	9	35.9	17.1	2.1	8.8	10.9	1.0	0.4	1.2	1.9	3.0	6.0	11.0	.545	0.0	0.0	-	5.1	5.7	.902

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8
	Goran Dragic	Yao Ming
Season	2015-16	2010-11
Team	Miami Heat	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Heat Lost East Conf Semis	Did not play

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	72	32.8	14.1	0.8	3.1	3.8	5.8	1.0	0.2	2.6	2.6	5.8	12.2	.477	0.9	2.8	.312	1.7	2.3	.727
difference:	+67	+14.6	+3.9	+0.6	+0.9	+1.6	+5.0	+1.0	+1.4	-1.2		+2.2	+4.8	+.009	+0.9	+2.8		+1.3	+0.9	+.211
Yao Ming	5	18.2	10.2	1.4	4.0	5.4	0.8	0.0	1.6	1.4	2.6	3.6	7.4	.486	0.0	0.0	-	3.0	3.2	.938
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Goran Dragic	14	33.7	16.5	0.8	4.1	4.9	3.9	0.4	0.2	2.2	3.3	6.5	14.7	.442	1.1	3.3	.348	2.4	3.1	.767
Yao Ming	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Additional Years
* Goran Dragic played 7 seasons more than Yao Ming in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 9 to 15, from 2017 to 2023—Goran Dragic played in 5 Playoffs. In those 7 extra years over Yao Ming, Goran Dragic got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 All-Star Game