Lonzo Ball vs. Tristan Thompson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tristan Thompson 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 / 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.

Lonzo Ball played 6 years in the NBA, 8 less than Tristan Thompson, who played 14. Lonzo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while Tristan Thompson 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
Lonzo Ball 6 0 2017-18 to 2024-25
Tristan Thompson 14 9 2011-12 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2017-182011-12
Team Los Angeles LakersCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second TeamAchievement 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:+8+10.5+2.0+1.8+2.2+0.4+6.7+1.2+0.2-1.2-0.1+0.7+3.4+.079+1.7+5.7+1.2+1.8+.101
Tristan Thompson 60 23.7 8.2 3.1 3.4 6.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.4 2.2 3.2 7.4 .439 0.0 0.0 - 1.8 3.2 .552
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor Tristan Thompson played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2018-192012-13
Team Los Angeles LakersCleveland Cavaliers
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:+35+1.0+1.8+2.6+1.5+4.1+4.1+0.8+0.5-0.7-0.5+0.9+.082+1.6+4.9+1.8+2.5+.191
Tristan Thompson 82 31.3 11.7 3.7 5.7 9.4 1.3 0.7 0.9 1.5 2.9 4.8 9.7 .488 0.0 0.0 - 2.2 3.5 .608
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor Tristan Thompson played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2019-202013-14
Team New Orleans PelicansCleveland Cavaliers
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:+19+0.5+0.1+2.2+0.9+3.1+6.1+0.9+0.2-1.8-0.3+1.6+.074+2.3+6.3+2.2+2.9+.127
Tristan Thompson 82 31.6 11.7 3.3 5.9 9.2 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.3 2.3 4.4 9.3 .477 0.0 0.0 - 2.9 4.1 .693
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor Tristan Thompson played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2020-212014-15
Team New Orleans PelicansCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCavaliers Lost NBA Finals
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:+27+5.0+6.1+2.7+0.5+3.2+5.2+1.1+0.1-1.2-0.4+2.0+6.7+.133+3.1+8.3+1.0+1.8+.140
Tristan Thompson 82 26.8 8.5 3.3 4.7 8.0 0.5 0.4 0.7 1.0 2.3 3.3 6.0 .547 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.0 .641
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Tristan Thompson 20 36.4 9.6 4.4 6.4 10.8 0.5 0.3 1.2 0.8 2.5 3.6 6.5 .558 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 4.1 .585

Season 5
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2021-222015-16
Team Chicago BullsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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:+47+6.9+5.2+2.3+1.3+3.6+4.3+1.3+0.3-1.6-0.1+1.6+5.8+.165+3.1+7.4+1.2+2.2+.134
Tristan Thompson 82 27.7 7.8 3.3 5.7 9.0 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.7 2.5 3.0 5.1 .588 0.0 0.0 - 1.8 3.0 .616
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Tristan Thompson 21 29.6 6.7 4.1 4.9 9.0 0.7 0.4 0.9 0.8 2.6 2.3 4.4 .527 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 3.5 .575

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

Season 6
Lonzo Ball Tristan Thompson
Season 2024-252016-17
Team Chicago BullsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCavaliers Lost NBA Finals
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:+43+7.7+0.5+3.0+2.8+5.8+2.3+0.8+0.6-0.4-0.7+0.9+1.3+.234+1.9+5.6+0.8+1.9+.317
Tristan Thompson 78 29.9 8.1 3.7 5.5 9.2 1.0 0.5 1.1 0.8 2.3 3.4 5.6 .600 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.7 .498
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Tristan Thompson 18 31.2 8.2 3.8 4.5 8.3 1.4 0.5 0.7 1.2 2.0 3.0 5.1 .587 0.0 0.0 - 2.2 3.3 .667

Additional Years

* Tristan Thompson played 8 seasons more than Lonzo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 14, from 2018 to 2025—Tristan Thompson played in 6 Playoffs.

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