LaMelo Ball vs. Isaiah Thomas Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Isaiah Thomas and LaMelo Ball, 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 / Stats Rankings / 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.

LaMelo Ball played 5 years in the NBA, 7 less than Isaiah Thomas, who played 12. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Isaiah Thomas had his rookie season in 2011-12. 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
LaMelo Ball 5 0 2020-21 to 2024-25
Isaiah Thomas 12 4 2011-12 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Isaiah Thomas
Season 2020-212011-12
Team Charlotte HornetsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-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%
LaMelo Ball 51 28.8 15.7 1.2 4.7 5.9 6.1 1.6 0.4 2.8 2.7 5.7 13.2 .436 1.8 5.1 .352 2.5 3.2 .758
difference:+14+3.3+4.2+0.5+2.9+3.3+2.0+0.8+0.3-1.2-0.8+1.8+4.4+.012+0.5+1.7+.027+0.1+0.4+.074
Isaiah Thomas 65 25.5 11.5 0.7 1.8 2.6 4.1 0.8 0.1 1.6 1.9 3.9 8.8 .448 1.3 3.4 .379 2.4 2.8 .832
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Isaiah Thomas played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Isaiah Thomas
Season 2021-222012-13
Team Charlotte HornetsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards 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%
LaMelo Ball 75 32.3 20.1 1.4 5.2 6.7 7.6 1.6 0.4 3.3 3.2 7.2 16.7 .429 2.9 7.5 .389 2.8 3.2 .872
difference:+4+5.4+6.2+1.0+3.5+4.7+3.6+0.8+0.4-1.5-1.1+2.6+6.2+.011+1.4+3.4+.031+0.4+0.4+.010
Isaiah Thomas 79 26.9 13.9 0.4 1.7 2.0 4.0 0.8 0.0 1.8 2.1 4.6 10.5 .440 1.5 4.1 .358 3.2 3.6 .882
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Isaiah Thomas played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Isaiah Thomas
Season 2022-232013-14
Team Charlotte HornetsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball 36 35.2 23.3 1.2 5.3 6.4 8.4 1.3 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.2 20.0 .411 4.0 10.6 .376 2.8 3.4 .836
difference:+36+0.5+3.0+0.5+3.0+3.5+2.1+0.2-0.6-0.7+1.3+4.8+.042+2.2+5.5+.027+2.0+2.3+.014
Isaiah Thomas 72 34.7 20.3 0.7 2.3 2.9 6.3 1.3 0.1 3.0 2.6 6.9 15.2 .453 1.8 5.1 .349 4.8 5.7 .850
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Isaiah Thomas played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Isaiah Thomas
Season 2023-242014-15
Team Charlotte HornetsPhoenix Suns, Boston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East 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%
LaMelo Ball 22 32.3 23.9 1.3 3.8 5.1 8.0 1.8 0.2 3.8 3.6 8.3 19.2 .433 3.2 9.0 .355 4.1 4.7 .865
difference:+45+6.5+7.5+0.8+2.0+2.8+3.8+0.9+0.1-1.7-1.4+3.3+7.3+.013+1.3+3.8+.018+0.4+0.5+.003
Isaiah Thomas 67 25.8 16.4 0.5 1.8 2.3 4.2 0.9 0.1 2.1 2.2 5.0 11.9 .420 1.9 5.2 .373 4.5 5.2 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Isaiah Thomas 4 29.8 17.5 0.3 2.8 3.0 7.0 0.8 0.0 3.5 2.5 4.5 13.5 .333 0.8 4.5 .167 7.8 8.0 .969

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Isaiah Thomas
Season 2024-252015-16
Team Charlotte HornetsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics 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%
LaMelo Ball 47 32.0 25.2 1.0 3.9 4.9 7.4 1.1 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.6 21.3 .405 3.8 11.2 .339 4.1 4.9 .843
difference:+35+0.2+3.0+0.4+1.5+1.9+1.2+0.2-0.9-1.3+1.4+4.4+.023+1.8+5.5+.020+1.7+1.7+.028
Isaiah Thomas 82 32.2 22.2 0.6 2.4 3.0 6.2 1.1 0.1 2.7 2.0 7.2 16.9 .428 2.0 5.7 .359 5.8 6.6 .871
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Isaiah Thomas 6 36.7 24.2 0.3 2.7 3.0 5.0 0.7 0.8 2.3 3.0 7.8 19.8 .395 2.2 7.7 .283 6.3 7.8 .809

Additional Years

* Isaiah Thomas played 7 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 12, from 2017 to 2024—Isaiah Thomas played in two Playoffs.

In those 7 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Isaiah Thomas got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 1 All-Star Game
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