John Battle vs. Nikola Jokic Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Nikola Jokic and John Battle, 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.

John Battle played 10 years in the NBA, 1 more than Nikola Jokic, who played 9. John Battle had the first of his seasons in 1985-86, while Nikola Jokic had his rookie season in 2015-16. 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
John Battle 10 9 1985-86 to 1994-95
Nikola Jokic 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Rookie Season

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1985-862015-16
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Hawks Lost East 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 %
John Battle 64 10.0 4.3 0.2 0.8 1.0 1.2 0.4 0.0 0.7 1.3 1.6 3.5 .455 0.0 0.1 .000 1.2 1.6 .728
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 6 4.5 1.8 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.5 0.8 0.7 1.8 .364 0.0 0.2 .000 0.5 0.7 .750
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 2

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1986-872016-17
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost East 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 %
John Battle 64 12.6 6.0 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.9 0.5 0.1 0.9 1.2 2.3 4.9 .457 0.0 0.2 .000 1.5 2.0 .738
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 8 9.8 6.6 0.3 1.0 1.3 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.9 1.6 1.9 4.3 .441 0.3 0.6 .400 2.6 2.9 .913
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 3

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1987-882017-18
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Hawks Lost East 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 %
John Battle 67 18.3 10.6 0.4 1.3 1.7 2.4 0.5 0.1 1.1 1.3 4.1 9.1 .454 0.2 0.6 .390 2.1 2.8 .750
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 12 13.8 6.8 0.2 1.5 1.7 2.2 0.2 0.0 0.9 1.2 2.7 5.6 .478 0.0 0.2 .000 1.4 2.1 .680
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 4

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1988-892018-19
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf 1st RdNuggets 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 %
John Battle 82 20.4 9.5 0.4 1.3 1.7 2.4 0.5 0.1 1.3 1.5 3.5 7.7 .457 0.1 0.4 .324 2.4 2.9 .815
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 5 23.6 9.8 1.0 1.6 2.6 3.2 0.4 0.0 1.0 2.6 4.0 9.2 .435 0.0 1.2 .000 1.8 2.4 .750
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846

Season 5

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1989-902019-20
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second 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 %
John Battle 60 24.6 10.9 0.5 1.2 1.7 2.6 0.5 0.1 1.5 1.9 4.6 9.1 .506 0.0 0.2 .154 1.7 2.3 .756
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835

Season 6

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1990-912020-21
Team Atlanta HawksDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Hawks Lost East Conf 1st RdNuggets 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 %
John Battle 79 23.6 13.6 0.4 1.6 2.0 2.7 0.6 0.1 1.4 1.8 5.0 10.9 .461 0.2 0.6 .286 3.4 4.0 .854
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 5 21.4 11.6 0.8 1.2 2.0 2.2 0.2 0.0 1.8 2.2 3.2 8.8 .364 0.4 1.0 .400 4.8 5.0 .960
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836

Season 7

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1991-922021-22
Team Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf FinalsNuggets 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 %
John Battle 76 21.5 10.3 0.3 1.2 1.5 2.1 0.5 0.1 1.2 1.5 4.2 8.7 .480 0.0 0.2 .118 1.9 2.3 .848
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 15 13.5 5.9 0.3 0.5 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.1 1.2 0.7 2.3 5.5 .415 0.0 0.1 .000 1.4 1.5 .913
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848

Season 8

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1992-932022-23
Team Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf SemisNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 41 12.1 5.4 0.1 0.6 0.7 1.3 0.2 0.1 0.5 1.0 2.0 4.9 .415 0.0 0.1 .167 1.4 1.8 .778
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 1 6.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799

Season 9

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1993-942023-24
Team Cleveland CavaliersDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st RdNuggets TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 51 16.0 6.6 0.1 0.6 0.8 1.6 0.4 0.0 0.8 1.3 2.5 5.4 .476 0.1 0.4 .263 1.4 1.9 .753
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 1 8.0 2.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Nikola Jokic 11 39.5 28.2 3.4 9.5 12.9 8.8 1.5 0.6 3.4 2.7 10.9 19.6 .556 1.1 3.9 .279 5.3 5.8 .906

Season 10

John Battle Nikola Jokic
Season 1994-95-
Team Cleveland Cavaliers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Cavaliers 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 %
John Battle 28 10.0 4.1 0.1 0.3 0.4 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.6 1.0 1.5 4.1 .377 0.4 1.1 .355 0.7 0.9 .731
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Battle 2 3.5 2.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 .667 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 -
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------