Keldon Johnson vs. Isiah Thomas Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Isiah Thomas and Keldon Johnson, 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.

Keldon Johnson played 6 years in the NBA, 7 less than Isiah Thomas, who played 13. Keldon Johnson had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Isiah Thomas had his rookie season in 1981-82. 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
Keldon Johnson 6 0 2019-20 to 2024-25
Isiah Thomas 13 9 1981-82 to 1993-94

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2019-201981-82
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
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%
Keldon Johnson 17 17.7 9.1 0.6 2.8 3.4 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.8 1.6 3.1 5.2 .596 0.8 1.3 .591 2.1 2.6 .795
difference:+55+16.1+7.9+0.2+0.7+0.5+6.9+1.3+0.1-3.4-1.9+3.2+9.6+.172+0.6+0.5+.303+2.1+3.4+.091
Isiah Thomas 72 33.8 17.0 0.8 2.1 2.9 7.8 2.1 0.2 4.2 3.5 6.3 14.8 .424 0.2 0.8 .288 4.2 6.0 .704
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Keldon Johnson nor Isiah Thomas played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2020-211982-83
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
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%
Keldon Johnson 69 28.5 12.8 1.3 4.6 6.0 1.8 0.6 0.3 1.1 2.1 4.9 10.2 .479 0.9 2.6 .331 2.1 2.8 .740
difference:+12+9.7+10.1+1.8+2.0+6.0+1.9+0.1-2.9-1.8+4.1+8.8+.007+0.5+1.1+.043+2.4+3.6+.030
Isiah Thomas 81 38.2 22.9 1.3 2.8 4.0 7.8 2.5 0.4 4.0 3.9 9.0 19.0 .472 0.4 1.5 .288 4.5 6.4 .710
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Keldon Johnson nor Isiah Thomas played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2021-221983-84
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayPistons Lost East 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%
Keldon Johnson 75 31.9 17.0 1.1 5.0 6.1 2.1 0.8 0.2 1.2 2.0 6.3 13.5 .466 2.1 5.3 .398 2.4 3.1 .756
difference:+7+4.8+4.3+0.2+2.3+2.1+9.0+1.7+0.2-2.5-2.0+1.9+4.2+.004+1.8+4.5+.060+2.3+3.4+.023
Isiah Thomas 82 36.7 21.3 1.3 2.7 4.0 11.1 2.5 0.4 3.7 4.0 8.2 17.7 .462 0.3 0.8 .338 4.7 6.5 .733
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Isiah Thomas 5 39.6 21.4 1.4 2.4 3.8 11.0 2.6 1.2 4.6 4.4 7.8 16.6 .470 0.4 1.2 .333 5.4 7.0 .771

Season 4
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2022-231984-85
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayPistons Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 63 32.7 22.0 0.9 4.2 5.0 2.9 0.7 0.2 2.1 2.0 8.0 17.7 .452 2.1 6.5 .329 3.9 5.2 .749
difference:+18+5.4+0.8+0.5+1.2+0.5+11.0+1.6+0.1-1.6-1.6+0.3+.006+1.7+5.1+.072+1.0+0.9+.060
Isiah Thomas 81 38.1 21.2 1.4 3.0 4.5 13.9 2.3 0.3 3.7 3.6 8.0 17.4 .458 0.4 1.4 .257 4.9 6.1 .809
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Isiah Thomas 9 39.4 24.3 1.2 4.0 5.2 11.2 2.1 0.4 3.3 4.3 9.2 18.4 .500 0.7 1.7 .400 5.2 6.9 .758

Season 5
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2023-241985-86
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayPistons Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 69 29.5 15.7 1.4 4.1 5.5 2.8 0.7 0.3 1.4 2.2 5.7 12.5 .454 1.8 5.3 .346 2.5 3.2 .792
difference:+8+6.7+5.2+0.3+1.6+1.9+8.0+1.5-2.4-1.0+2.2+3.7+.034+1.5+4.2+.036+2.2+2.8+.002
Isiah Thomas 77 36.2 20.9 1.1 2.5 3.6 10.8 2.2 0.3 3.8 3.2 7.9 16.2 .488 0.3 1.1 .310 4.7 6.0 .790
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Isiah Thomas 4 40.8 26.5 2.0 3.5 5.5 12.0 2.3 0.8 4.3 4.3 10.3 22.8 .451 0.0 1.3 .000 6.0 9.0 .667

Season 6
Keldon Johnson Isiah Thomas
Season 2024-251986-87
Team San Antonio SpursDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayPistons Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson 77 23.9 12.7 1.5 3.4 4.8 1.6 0.6 0.3 1.0 1.5 4.8 10.0 .482 1.1 3.6 .318 1.9 2.5 .773
difference:+4+13.3+7.9+0.5+0.5+0.9+8.4+1.3+0.1-3.2-1.6+2.9+6.7+.019+0.9+2.4+.124+3.0+3.9+.005
Isiah Thomas 81 37.2 20.6 1.0 2.9 3.9 10.0 1.9 0.2 4.2 3.1 7.7 16.7 .463 0.2 1.2 .194 4.9 6.4 .768
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
Isiah Thomas 15 37.5 24.1 1.4 3.1 4.5 8.7 2.6 0.3 2.8 3.4 8.9 19.8 .451 0.7 2.2 .303 5.5 7.3 .755

Additional Years

* Isiah Thomas played 7 seasons more than Keldon Johnson in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 13, from 1988 to 1994—Isiah Thomas played in 5 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 7 extra years over Keldon Johnson, Isiah Thomas got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 6 All-Star Game
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