Lonzo Ball vs. JaVale McGee Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of JaVale McGee and Lonzo 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 / 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.

Lonzo Ball played 6 years in the NBA, 10 less than JaVale McGee, who played 16. Lonzo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while JaVale McGee had his rookie season in 2008-09. 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
Lonzo Ball 6 0 2017-18 to 2024-25
JaVale McGee 16 8 2008-09 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2017-182008-09
Team Los Angeles LakersWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards 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%
Lonzo Ball 52 34.2 10.2 1.3 5.6 6.9 7.2 1.7 0.8 2.6 2.3 3.9 10.8 .360 1.7 5.7 .305 0.6 1.4 .451
difference:+23+19.0+3.7+0.3+3.3+3.0+6.9+1.3+0.2-1.8-0.2+1.4+5.6+.134+1.7+5.7+0.8+0.8+.209
JaVale McGee 75 15.2 6.5 1.6 2.3 3.9 0.3 0.4 1.0 0.8 2.1 2.5 5.2 .494 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.2 .660
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor JaVale McGee played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2018-192009-10
Team Los Angeles LakersWashington Wizards
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%
Lonzo Ball 47 30.3 9.9 1.1 4.2 5.3 5.4 1.5 0.4 2.2 2.4 3.9 9.7 .406 1.6 4.9 .329 0.4 1.0 .417
difference:+13+14.2+3.5+0.4+1.6+1.2+5.2+1.2+1.3-1.3-0.4+1.3+4.6+.102+1.6+4.9+0.8+0.9+.221
JaVale McGee 60 16.1 6.4 1.5 2.6 4.1 0.2 0.3 1.7 0.9 2.0 2.6 5.1 .508 0.0 0.0 - 1.2 1.9 .638
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor JaVale McGee played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2019-202010-11
Team New Orleans PelicansWashington Wizards
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%
Lonzo Ball 63 32.1 11.8 1.1 5.0 6.1 7.0 1.4 0.6 3.1 2.0 4.4 10.9 .403 2.3 6.3 .375 0.7 1.2 .566
difference:+16+4.3+1.7+1.7+0.2+1.9+6.5+0.9+1.8-1.8-0.9+0.2+3.3+.147+2.3+6.3+1.0+1.7+.017
JaVale McGee 79 27.8 10.1 2.8 5.2 8.0 0.5 0.5 2.4 1.3 2.9 4.2 7.6 .550 0.0 0.0 - 1.7 2.9 .583
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor JaVale McGee played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2020-212011-12
Team New Orleans PelicansWashington Wizards, Denver 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%
Lonzo Ball 55 31.8 14.6 0.6 4.2 4.8 5.7 1.5 0.6 2.2 1.9 5.3 12.7 .414 3.1 8.3 .378 0.9 1.2 .781
difference:+6+6.6+3.3+2.1+0.9+3.0+5.2+0.9+1.6-0.8-0.8+0.3+3.7+.142+3.1+8.3+0.4+1.5+.320
JaVale McGee 61 25.2 11.3 2.7 5.1 7.8 0.5 0.6 2.2 1.4 2.7 5.0 9.0 .556 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 2.7 .461
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
JaVale McGee 7 25.9 8.6 3.3 6.3 9.6 0.7 0.7 3.1 0.6 3.0 3.3 7.6 .434 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 3.7 .538

Season 5

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2021-222012-13
Team Chicago BullsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets 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%
Lonzo Ball 35 34.6 13.0 1.0 4.4 5.4 5.1 1.8 0.9 2.3 2.4 4.6 10.9 .423 3.1 7.4 .423 0.6 0.8 .750
difference:+44+16.5+3.9+1.0+1.6+0.6+4.8+1.4+1.1-1.2-0.1+0.8+4.2+.152+3.1+7.4+0.8+1.6+.159
JaVale McGee 79 18.1 9.1 2.0 2.8 4.8 0.3 0.4 2.0 1.1 2.3 3.8 6.7 .575 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.4 .591
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
JaVale McGee 6 18.7 7.2 2.8 2.3 5.2 0.0 0.7 1.0 1.8 2.8 3.0 5.2 .581 0.0 0.0 - 1.2 3.0 .389

Note: Lonzo Ball didn't play in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Season 6

Lonzo Ball JaVale McGee
Season 2024-252013-14
Team Chicago BullsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 35 22.2 7.6 0.7 2.7 3.4 3.3 1.3 0.5 1.2 1.6 2.5 6.9 .366 1.9 5.6 .344 0.6 0.8 .815
difference:+30+6.4+0.6+1.3+1.3+2.9+1.1+0.9-0.4-1.6+0.9+0.7+.081+1.9+5.6+0.4+0.6+.185
JaVale McGee 5 15.8 7.0 2.0 1.4 3.4 0.4 0.2 1.4 1.6 3.2 3.4 7.6 .447 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 0.2 1.000
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor JaVale McGee played in the postseason in their season 6

Additional Years

* JaVale McGee played 10 seasons more than Lonzo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 16, from 2015 to 2024—JaVale McGee played in 6 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships.