LaMelo Ball vs. Michael Porter Jr. Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Michael Porter Jr. 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 / Scoring / Stats / 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, 1 less than Michael Porter Jr., who played 6. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Michael Porter Jr. had his rookie season in 2019-20. 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
Michael Porter Jr. 6 5 2019-20 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season

LaMelo Ball Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2020-212019-20
Team Charlotte HornetsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Finals
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:+4+12.4+6.4+1.2+1.2+5.3+1.1+0.1-1.9-0.9+2.2+6.2+.073+0.7+2.4+.070+1.4+1.9+.075
Michael Porter Jr. 55 16.4 9.3 1.2 3.5 4.7 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.8 3.5 7.0 .509 1.1 2.7 .422 1.1 1.3 .833
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Porter Jr. 19 23.7 11.4 1.1 5.6 6.7 0.8 0.7 0.3 1.3 2.3 4.1 8.6 .476 1.8 4.7 .382 1.4 1.8 .743

Season 2

LaMelo Ball Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2021-222020-21
Team Charlotte HornetsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
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:+14+1.0+1.1+0.1+0.6+0.6+6.5+0.9+0.5-2.0-1.1+0.1+3.3+.113+0.1+1.2+.056+1.1+1.0+.081
Michael Porter Jr. 61 31.3 19.0 1.5 5.8 7.3 1.1 0.7 0.9 1.3 2.1 7.3 13.4 .542 2.8 6.3 .445 1.7 2.2 .791
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Porter Jr. 10 33.2 17.4 1.2 5.0 6.2 1.3 1.1 0.3 1.6 3.1 6.4 13.5 .474 2.9 7.3 .397 1.7 2.1 .810

Season 3

LaMelo Ball Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2022-232021-22
Team Charlotte HornetsDenver Nuggets
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:+27+5.8+13.4+0.2+0.3+0.2+6.5+0.2+0.1-2.3-1.5+4.1+8.6+.052+2.9+5.3+.168+2.2+2.4+.280
Michael Porter Jr. 9 29.4 9.9 1.0 5.6 6.6 1.9 1.1 0.2 1.3 1.8 4.1 11.4 .359 1.1 5.3 .208 0.6 1.0 .556
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Michael Porter Jr. played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4

LaMelo Ball Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2023-242022-23
Team Charlotte HornetsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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:+40+3.3+6.5+0.3+0.7+0.4+7.0+1.2+0.3-2.7-1.7+1.9+6.0+.054+0.2+1.7+.059+2.6+2.8+.065
Michael Porter Jr. 62 29.0 17.4 1.0 4.5 5.5 1.0 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.9 6.4 13.2 .487 3.0 7.3 .414 1.5 1.9 .800
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Porter Jr. 20 32.7 13.4 1.0 7.1 8.1 1.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 2.1 5.0 11.7 .423 2.3 6.6 .351 1.2 1.5 .793

Season 5

LaMelo Ball Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2024-252023-24
Team Charlotte HornetsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
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:+34+0.3+8.5+0.3+1.8+2.1+5.9+0.6+0.4-2.5-1.5+2.2+8.0+.079+1.1+4.4+.058+3.0+3.5+.007
Michael Porter Jr. 81 31.7 16.7 1.3 5.7 7.0 1.5 0.5 0.7 1.1 1.8 6.4 13.3 .484 2.7 6.8 .397 1.1 1.4 .836
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Porter Jr. 12 36.9 15.8 0.7 6.2 6.8 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.5 2.3 5.7 12.2 .466 2.8 6.8 .407 1.7 2.2 .769

Additional Years

* Michael Porter Jr. played 1 season more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his season 6 in 2025—Michael Porter Jr. played in the Playoffs.