LaMelo Ball vs. Pau Gasol Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Pau Gasol 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

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, 13 less than Pau Gasol, who played 18. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Pau Gasol had his rookie season in 2001-02. 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
Pau Gasol 18 12 2001-02 to 2018-19

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
LaMelo Ball Pau Gasol
Season 2020-212001-02
Team Charlotte HornetsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the YearAchievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First 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:+31+7.9+1.9+1.7+1.3+3.0+3.4+1.1+1.7-0.1-0.3+1.0+0.2+.082+1.8+5.0+.152+1.6+2.6+.049
Pau Gasol 82 36.7 17.6 2.9 6.0 8.9 2.7 0.5 2.1 2.7 2.4 6.7 13.0 .518 0.0 0.1 .200 4.1 5.8 .709
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Pau Gasol played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
LaMelo Ball Pau Gasol
Season 2021-222002-03
Team Charlotte HornetsMemphis Grizzlies
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:+7+3.7+1.1+0.9+1.2+2.1+4.8+1.2+1.4-0.7-0.5+0.3+3.1+.081+2.9+7.4+.289+2.3+3.7+.136
Pau Gasol 82 36.0 19.0 2.3 6.4 8.8 2.8 0.4 1.8 2.6 2.7 6.9 13.6 .510 0.0 0.1 .100 5.1 6.9 .736
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher LaMelo Ball nor Pau Gasol played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
LaMelo Ball Pau Gasol
Season 2022-232003-04
Team Charlotte HornetsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayGrizzlies 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%
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:+42+3.7+5.6+1.4+0.2+1.3+5.9+0.7+1.4-1.2-0.9+1.7+6.6+.071+3.9+10.4+.109+1.9+3.2+.122
Pau Gasol 78 31.5 17.7 2.6 5.1 7.7 2.5 0.6 1.7 2.4 2.4 6.5 13.4 .482 0.1 0.2 .267 4.7 6.6 .714
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Pau Gasol 4 33.5 18.5 1.0 4.0 5.0 2.5 1.0 1.5 1.3 2.5 7.0 12.3 .571 0.0 0.0 - 4.5 5.0 .900

Season 4
LaMelo Ball Pau Gasol
Season 2023-242004-05
Team Charlotte HornetsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayGrizzlies 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%
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:+34+0.3+6.1+1.0+1.2+2.2+5.6+1.1+1.5-1.4-1.0+1.9+6.8+.081+3.2+8.9+.188+0.9+1.9+.097
Pau Gasol 56 32.0 17.8 2.3 5.0 7.3 2.4 0.7 1.7 2.4 2.6 6.4 12.4 .514 0.0 0.1 .167 5.0 6.6 .768
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Pau Gasol 4 33.0 21.3 3.8 3.8 7.5 2.5 0.5 1.8 1.8 3.0 9.8 20.0 .488 0.3 0.3 1.000 1.5 3.0 .500

Season 5
LaMelo Ball Pau Gasol
Season 2024-252005-06
Team Charlotte HornetsMemphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayGrizzlies Lost West 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:+33+7.2+4.8+1.4+2.6+4.0+2.8+0.5+1.6-0.7-1.0+1.1+6.4+.098+3.8+11.0+.089+1.2+2.8+.154
Pau Gasol 80 39.2 20.4 2.4 6.5 8.9 4.6 0.6 1.9 2.9 2.3 7.5 14.9 .503 0.0 0.2 .250 5.3 7.7 .689
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Pau Gasol 4 39.5 20.3 1.0 5.8 6.8 3.0 0.5 1.3 2.8 2.8 7.3 16.8 .433 0.0 0.3 .000 5.8 7.5 .767

Additional Years

* Pau Gasol played 13 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 18, from 2007 to 2019—Pau Gasol played in 9 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.

In those 13 extra years over LaMelo Ball, Pau Gasol got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 2 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 2 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 5 All-Star Game
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