Josh Giddey vs. J.R. Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of J.R. Smith and Josh Giddey, 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 / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings

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.

Josh Giddey played 4 years in the NBA, 12 less than J.R. Smith, who played 16. Josh Giddey had the first of his seasons in 2021-22, while J.R. Smith had his rookie season in 2004-05. 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.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Josh Giddey 4 1 2021-22 to 2024-25
J.R. Smith 16 12 2004-05 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4

Rookie Season

Josh Giddey J.R. Smith
Season 2021-222004-05
Team Oklahoma City ThunderNew Orleans Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey 54 31.5 12.5 1.8 6.0 7.8 6.4 0.9 0.4 3.2 1.6 5.2 12.4 .419 1.0 3.9 .263 1.0 1.5 .709
difference:+22+7.0+2.2+1.3+4.5+5.8+4.5+0.2+0.3-1.8-0.2+1.3+2.6+.025+0.1+0.2+.025+0.5+0.6+.020
J.R. Smith 76 24.5 10.3 0.5 1.5 2.0 1.9 0.7 0.1 1.4 1.8 3.9 9.8 .394 1.1 3.7 .288 1.5 2.1 .689
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Josh Giddey nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Josh Giddey J.R. Smith
Season 2022-232005-06
Team Oklahoma City ThunderNew Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey 76 31.2 16.6 1.9 5.9 7.9 6.2 0.8 0.4 2.8 1.9 7.1 14.7 .482 1.0 3.1 .325 1.4 1.9 .731
difference:+21+13.2+8.9+1.6+4.2+5.9+5.1+0.1+0.3-1.8-0.3+4.5+8.0+.089+0.1+0.6+.046+0.1+0.1+.091
J.R. Smith 55 18.0 7.7 0.3 1.7 2.0 1.1 0.7 0.1 1.0 1.6 2.6 6.7 .393 0.9 2.5 .371 1.5 1.8 .822
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Josh Giddey nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3

Josh Giddey J.R. Smith
Season 2023-242006-07
Team Oklahoma City ThunderDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf SemisNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey 80 25.1 12.3 1.4 5.0 6.4 4.8 0.7 0.6 2.1 1.4 5.0 10.6 .475 1.0 3.0 .337 1.3 1.6 .806
difference:+17+1.8+0.7+0.9+3.2+4.1+3.4+0.1+0.5-0.8-0.9+0.5+0.4+.034+1.4+3.1+.053+0.3+0.4+.004
J.R. Smith 63 23.3 13.0 0.5 1.8 2.3 1.4 0.8 0.1 1.3 2.3 4.5 10.2 .441 2.4 6.1 .390 1.6 2.0 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey 10 18.1 8.7 0.7 2.9 3.6 2.1 0.2 0.4 1.2 0.9 3.4 7.5 .453 1.2 3.4 .353 0.7 0.8 .875
difference:+6+6.3+4.2+0.4+0.9+1.3+1.6+0.8+0.1-0.4-0.6+1.9+2.0+.180+1.2+0.4+.353+0.8+0.7+.125
J.R. Smith 4 11.8 4.5 0.3 2.0 2.3 0.5 1.0 0.3 0.8 1.5 1.5 5.5 .273 0.0 3.0 .000 1.5 1.5 1.000

Season 4

Josh Giddey J.R. Smith
Season 2024-252007-08
Team Chicago BullsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey 70 30.2 14.6 1.8 6.3 8.1 7.2 1.2 0.6 2.9 1.7 5.3 11.4 .465 1.5 4.0 .378 2.5 3.2 .781
difference:+4+11.0+2.3+1.2+4.8+6.0+5.5+0.4+0.4-1.4-0.2+1.1+2.3+.004+0.6+1.3+.025+0.8+0.8+.062
J.R. Smith 74 19.2 12.3 0.6 1.5 2.1 1.7 0.8 0.2 1.5 1.9 4.2 9.1 .461 2.1 5.3 .403 1.7 2.4 .719
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Josh Giddey DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 4 27.0 18.3 0.3 1.5 1.8 1.8 1.0 0.0 1.3 3.0 5.8 10.8 .535 1.8 5.5 .318 5.0 6.0 .833

Additional Years

* J.R. Smith played 12 seasons more than Josh Giddey in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 5 to 16, from 2009 to 2020—J.R. Smith played in 10 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 12 extra years over Josh Giddey, J.R. Smith got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Sixth Man of the Year