Keldon Johnson vs. J.R. Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of J.R. Smith 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 / Games against each other

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, 10 less than J.R. Smith, who played 16. Keldon Johnson had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, 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
Keldon Johnson 6 0 2019-20 to 2024-25
J.R. Smith 16 12 2004-05 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2019-202004-05
Team San Antonio SpursNew Orleans Hornets
Honors & Awards
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:+59+6.8+1.2+0.1+1.3+1.4+1.0+0.1-0.6-0.2+0.8+4.6+.202+0.3+2.4+.303+0.6+0.5+.106
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 Keldon Johnson nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2020-212005-06
Team San Antonio SpursNew 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%
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:+14+10.5+5.1+1.0+2.9+4.0+0.7+0.1+0.2-0.1-0.5+2.3+3.5+.086+0.1+.040+0.6+1.0+.082
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 Keldon Johnson nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2021-222006-07
Team San Antonio SpursDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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%
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:+12+8.6+4.0+0.6+3.2+3.8+0.7+0.1-0.1-0.3+1.8+3.3+.025+0.3+0.8+.008+0.8+1.1+.054
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%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
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
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2022-232007-08
Team San Antonio SpursDenver 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%
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:+11+13.5+9.7+0.3+2.7+2.9+1.2+0.1-0.6-0.1+3.8+8.6+.009+1.2+.074+2.2+2.8+.030
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%
Keldon Johnson 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

Season 5
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2023-242008-09
Team San Antonio SpursDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Finals
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:+12+1.8+0.5+0.9+1.0+1.8+0.3+0.1-0.5-0.1+0.5+0.8+.008+0.4+0.3+.051+0.2+.038
J.R. Smith 81 27.7 15.2 0.5 3.1 3.7 2.8 1.0 0.2 1.9 2.3 5.2 11.7 .446 2.2 5.6 .397 2.5 3.4 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 16 27.2 14.9 0.7 2.6 3.3 2.8 1.1 0.3 1.6 3.2 5.5 12.1 .454 2.4 6.6 .358 1.6 2.9 .543

Season 6
Keldon Johnson J.R. Smith
Season 2024-252009-10
Team San Antonio SpursDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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:+2+3.9+2.7+1.1+0.7+1.7+0.8+0.7-0.9-0.8+0.9+3.8+.068+1.0+2.6+.020+0.2+.067
J.R. Smith 75 27.8 15.4 0.4 2.7 3.1 2.4 1.3 0.3 1.9 2.3 5.7 13.8 .414 2.1 6.2 .338 1.9 2.7 .706
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Keldon Johnson DNP------ --- ----------
J.R. Smith 6 26.5 11.2 0.8 3.0 3.8 1.7 0.7 0.3 1.0 2.8 3.5 9.5 .368 1.8 5.2 .355 2.3 2.7 .875

Additional Years

* J.R. Smith played 10 seasons more than Keldon Johnson in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 16, from 2011 to 2020—J.R. Smith played in 8 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 10 extra years over Keldon Johnson, J.R. Smith got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Sixth Man of the Year
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