LaMelo Ball vs. J.R. Smith Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of J.R. Smith 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.
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, 11 less than J.R. Smith, who played 16. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, 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 |
| LaMelo Ball |
5 |
0 |
2020-21 to 2024-25 |
| J.R. Smith |
16 |
12 |
2004-05 to 2019-20 |
Comparison Season by Season |
|
Jump to season:
|
|
|
Rookie Season |
|
LaMelo Ball |
J.R. Smith |
| Season |
2020-21 | 2004-05 |
| Team |
Charlotte Hornets | New Orleans Hornets |
| Honors & Awards |
 Rookie of the Year | - |
| All-Rookie First Team | - |
| Playoffs |
Did Not Play | Did Not Play |
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +25 | +4.3 | +5.4 | +0.7 | +3.2 | +3.9 | +4.2 | +0.9 | +0.3 | -1.4 | -0.9 | +1.8 | +3.4 | +.042 | +0.7 | +1.4 | +.064 | +1.0 | +1.1 | +.069 |
| 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 LaMelo Ball nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 1 |
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2nd Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +20 | +14.3 | +12.4 | +1.1 | +3.5 | +4.7 | +6.5 | +0.9 | +0.3 | -2.3 | -1.6 | +4.6 | +10.0 | +.036 | +2.0 | +5.0 | +.018 | +1.3 | +1.4 | +.050 |
| 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 LaMelo Ball nor J.R. Smith played in the postseason in their season 2 |
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +27 | +11.9 | +10.3 | +0.7 | +3.5 | +4.1 | +7.0 | +0.5 | +0.2 | -2.3 | -1.0 | +3.7 | +9.8 | +.030 | +1.6 | +4.5 | +.014 | +1.2 | +1.4 | +.026 |
| 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 |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
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 |
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +52 | +13.1 | +11.6 | +0.7 | +2.3 | +3.0 | +6.3 | +1.0 | | -2.3 | -1.7 | +4.1 | +10.1 | +.028 | +1.1 | +3.7 | +.048 | +2.4 | +2.3 | +.146 |
| 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 |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
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 |
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison |
| Regular Season Stats |
|
G |
Min |
Pts |
ORb |
DRb |
Reb |
Ast |
Stl |
Blk |
TO | PF |
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: | +34 | +4.3 | +10.0 | +0.5 | +0.8 | +1.2 | +4.6 | +0.1 | +0.1 | -1.7 | -1.0 | +3.4 | +9.6 | +.041 | +1.6 | +5.6 | +.058 | +1.6 | +1.5 | +.089 |
| 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 |
TO | PF |
FGM / A | % |
3PM / A | % |
FTM / A | % |
| LaMelo Ball |
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 |
|
Additional Years |
* J.R. Smith played 11 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.
In that period—his seasons 6 to 16, from 2010 to 2020—J.R. Smith played in 9 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships. In those 11 extra years over LaMelo Ball, J.R. Smith got these achievements: |
| Honors & Awards | 1 Sixth Man of the Year
|