John Salley vs. Ben Simmons Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ben Simmons and John Salley, 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 Salley played 11 years in the NBA, 5 more than Ben Simmons, who played 6. John Salley had the first of his seasons in 1986-87, while Ben Simmons 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
John Salley 11 9 1986-87 to 1999-00
Ben Simmons 6 3 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11

Rookie Season

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1986-872017-18
Team Detroit PistonsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Conf Finals76ers 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 %
John Salley 82 17.8 5.3 1.3 2.3 3.6 0.7 0.5 1.5 0.9 3.1 2.0 3.5 .562 0.0 0.0 .000 1.3 2.1 .614
Ben Simmons 81 33.7 15.8 1.8 6.3 8.1 8.2 1.7 0.9 3.4 2.6 6.7 12.3 .545 0.0 0.1 .000 2.4 4.2 .560
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 15 20.7 6.2 2.0 2.8 4.8 0.7 0.2 1.1 0.9 4.0 2.2 4.4 .500 0.0 0.0 - 1.8 2.8 .643
Ben Simmons 10 36.9 16.3 1.6 7.8 9.4 7.7 1.7 0.8 4.4 3.4 6.1 12.5 .488 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 5.8 .707

Season 2

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1987-882018-19
Team Detroit PistonsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pistons Lost NBA Finals76ers 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 %
John Salley 82 24.4 8.5 2.0 2.9 4.9 1.4 0.6 1.7 1.5 3.6 3.1 5.6 .566 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 3.2 .709
Ben Simmons 79 34.2 16.9 2.2 6.6 8.8 7.7 1.4 0.8 3.5 2.6 6.8 12.2 .563 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 5.4 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 23 27.1 7.0 2.8 4.0 6.7 0.9 0.7 1.6 1.0 3.8 2.4 4.5 .538 0.0 0.0 .000 2.1 3.0 .710
Ben Simmons 12 35.1 13.9 1.9 5.1 7.0 6.0 1.3 1.0 2.7 3.8 6.0 9.7 .621 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.3 .575

Season 3

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1988-892019-20
Team Detroit PistonsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Steals Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 67 21.8 7.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 1.1 0.6 1.1 1.5 2.9 2.5 5.0 .498 0.0 0.0 .000 2.0 2.9 .692
Ben Simmons 57 35.4 16.4 2.0 5.8 7.8 8.0 2.1 0.6 3.5 3.3 6.6 11.4 .580 0.0 0.1 .286 3.2 5.2 .621
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 17 23.1 8.9 2.0 2.6 4.6 0.5 0.5 1.5 0.7 3.4 3.4 5.8 .586 0.0 0.0 - 2.1 3.2 .667
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 4

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1989-902020-21
Team Detroit PistonsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion76ers 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 %
John Salley 82 23.3 7.2 1.9 3.5 5.4 0.8 0.6 1.9 1.2 3.4 2.5 5.0 .512 0.0 0.0 .250 2.1 3.0 .713
Ben Simmons 58 32.4 14.3 1.6 5.6 7.2 6.9 1.6 0.6 3.0 2.9 5.6 10.1 .557 0.1 0.2 .300 3.0 4.9 .613
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 20 27.4 9.5 2.9 3.0 5.9 1.0 0.5 1.7 1.1 3.8 2.9 6.1 .475 0.0 0.0 - 3.7 4.9 .755
Ben Simmons 12 33.5 11.9 2.1 5.8 7.9 8.8 1.3 0.8 2.3 3.3 4.9 7.9 .621 0.0 0.1 .000 2.1 6.1 .342

Note: Ben Simmons didn't play in 2021-22.

Season 5

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1990-912022-23
Team Detroit PistonsBrooklyn Nets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 74 22.3 7.4 1.9 2.6 4.4 0.9 0.7 1.5 1.2 3.2 2.4 5.1 .475 0.0 0.0 .000 2.5 3.5 .727
Ben Simmons 42 26.3 6.9 1.0 5.3 6.3 6.1 1.3 0.6 2.3 3.3 3.2 5.6 .566 0.0 0.0 .000 0.6 1.4 .439
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 15 20.5 7.5 1.3 2.8 4.1 0.7 0.4 1.3 0.9 3.9 2.5 4.7 .543 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 4.0 .600
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 6

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1991-922023-24
Team Detroit PistonsBrooklyn Nets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 72 24.6 9.5 1.5 2.6 4.1 1.6 0.7 1.5 1.4 3.1 3.5 6.8 .512 0.0 0.0 .000 2.6 3.6 .715
Ben Simmons 15 23.9 6.1 2.1 5.9 7.9 5.7 0.8 0.6 1.8 2.4 2.9 4.9 .581 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 1.0 .400
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 5 29.8 12.6 2.0 4.0 6.0 2.8 0.6 2.8 1.8 3.6 4.0 8.8 .455 0.0 0.2 .000 4.6 5.6 .821
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 7

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1992-93-
Team Miami Heat-
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 %
John Salley 51 27.9 8.3 2.2 3.9 6.1 1.6 0.6 1.4 2.0 3.8 3.0 6.0 .502 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 2.8 .799
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 8

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1993-94-
Team Miami Heat-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Heat 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 Salley 76 25.1 7.7 1.7 3.6 5.4 1.8 0.7 1.0 1.2 3.4 2.7 5.7 .477 0.0 0.0 .667 2.2 3.0 .729
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 5 40.2 11.0 3.2 4.8 8.0 1.6 0.4 1.0 1.2 4.2 4.4 11.4 .386 0.0 0.0 - 2.2 3.2 .688
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 9

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1994-95-
Team Miami Heat-
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 %
John Salley 75 26.1 7.3 1.5 3.0 4.5 1.6 0.6 1.1 1.3 3.7 2.6 5.3 .499 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.8 .739
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 10

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1995-96-
Team Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA 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 Salley 42 16.0 4.4 1.1 2.2 3.3 1.3 0.5 0.6 1.3 2.6 1.5 3.3 .450 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.0 .694
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 16 5.3 0.9 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.3 1.6 0.4 0.7 .545 0.0 0.0 - 0.1 0.4 .286
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Note: John Salley didn't play in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Season 11

John Salley Ben Simmons
Season 1999-00-
Team Los Angeles Lakers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA 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 Salley 45 6.7 1.6 0.4 1.0 1.4 0.6 0.2 0.3 0.4 1.5 0.6 1.5 .362 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 0.6 .750
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
John Salley 18 4.2 0.9 0.5 0.7 1.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.9 0.3 0.7 .385 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.6 .700
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------