Mel Counts vs. Max Strus Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Max Strus and Mel Counts, 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

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.

Mel Counts played 12 years in the NBA, 7 more than Max Strus, who played 5. Mel Counts had the first of his seasons in 1964-65, while Max Strus 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 achivements, 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
Mel Counts 12 8 1964-65 to 1975-76
Max Strus 5 4 2019-20 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12

Rookie Season
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1964-652019-20
Team Boston CelticsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 54 10.6 4.8 - - 4.9 0.4 - - - 2.5 1.9 5.0 .368 - - - 1.1 1.4 .784
Max Strus 2 3.0 2.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 .667 0.0 0.5 .000 0.5 0.5 1.000
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 4 7.5 2.3 - - 2.8 0.3 - - - 2.5 1.0 3.8 .267 - - - 0.3 0.3 1.000
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1965-662020-21
Team Boston CelticsMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionHeat Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 67 15.2 8.4 - - 6.4 0.7 - - - 3.1 3.3 8.2 .403 - - - 1.8 2.2 .828
Max Strus 39 13.0 6.1 0.1 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.3 0.1 0.2 1.1 2.2 4.8 .455 1.3 3.8 .338 0.4 0.6 .667
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 10 8.2 4.3 - - 4.0 0.3 - - - 2.6 1.4 3.9 .359 - - - 1.5 1.7 .882
Max Strus 2 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -

Season 3
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1966-672021-22
Team Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles LakersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Div SemisHeat Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 56 15.4 7.6 - - 6.1 0.9 - - - 3.3 3.2 7.5 .422 - - - 1.2 1.7 .734
Max Strus 68 23.3 10.6 0.4 2.6 3.0 1.4 0.4 0.2 0.8 1.7 3.7 8.3 .441 2.7 6.5 .410 0.6 0.8 .792
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 3 9.7 4.7 - - 2.7 0.0 - - - 2.0 1.7 6.3 .263 - - - 1.3 1.3 1.000
Max Strus 18 29.1 10.9 0.8 3.2 4.1 2.1 0.8 0.4 1.1 3.1 3.8 10.1 .374 2.6 7.9 .331 0.7 1.0 .722

Season 4
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1967-682022-23
Team Los Angeles LakersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsHeat Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 82 21.2 11.7 - - 8.9 1.7 - - - 3.8 4.7 9.9 .475 - - - 2.3 3.1 .748
Max Strus 80 28.4 11.5 0.6 2.6 3.2 2.1 0.5 0.2 0.9 2.1 4.1 9.9 .410 2.5 7.0 .350 1.0 1.1 .876
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 15 20.4 8.6 - - 8.9 1.6 - - - 3.5 3.6 6.7 .535 - - - 1.4 2.1 .677
Max Strus 23 28.2 9.3 0.6 3.0 3.6 1.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 2.0 3.3 8.2 .402 1.9 5.9 .319 0.9 1.1 .800

Season 5
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1968-692023-24
Team Los Angeles LakersCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsCavaliers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 77 24.2 12.4 - - 7.8 1.4 - - - 2.9 5.1 11.3 .450 - - - 2.3 2.9 .805
Max Strus 70 32.0 12.2 0.9 3.9 4.8 4.0 0.9 0.4 1.6 2.4 4.3 10.4 .418 2.4 6.8 .351 1.1 1.4 .794
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 18 24.6 11.2 - - 7.9 1.4 - - - 3.7 4.1 10.7 .385 - - - 3.0 3.9 .761
Max Strus 12 36.2 9.5 0.7 4.7 5.3 2.9 0.8 0.0 1.3 3.4 3.5 8.6 .408 2.1 6.0 .347 0.4 0.4 1.000

Season 6
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1969-70-
Team Los Angeles Lakers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 81 27.1 12.6 - - 8.4 2.0 - - - 3.8 5.4 12.6 .427 - - - 1.9 2.5 .776
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 14 15.1 6.1 - - 5.3 1.1 - - - 3.4 2.6 6.3 .420 - - - 0.8 0.9 .846
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1970-71-
Team Phoenix Suns-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 80 20.9 11.0 - - 6.3 1.7 - - - 3.5 4.6 10.0 .457 - - - 1.9 2.5 .753
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts ------- --- ----------
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 8
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1971-72-
Team Phoenix Suns-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 76 11.9 5.2 - - 3.4 1.3 - - - 2.1 1.9 4.5 .427 - - - 1.3 1.8 .721
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts ------- --- ----------
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1972-73-
Team Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 66 10.0 4.6 - - 3.8 1.0 - - - 1.6 2.0 4.5 .449 - - - 0.6 0.9 .672
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 17 19.2 9.1 - - 6.1 1.6 - - - 3.0 3.6 7.8 .459 - - - 1.9 2.4 .780
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1973-74-
Team Los Angeles Lakers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 45 11.1 3.2 1.2 2.0 3.2 1.2 0.4 0.5 - 1.9 1.4 3.7 .365 - - - 0.5 0.7 .727
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 4 8.5 3.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 - 0.8 1.5 3.0 .500 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 11
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1974-75-
Team New Orleans Jazz-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 75 18.9 6.9 1.4 4.5 5.9 2.4 0.7 0.6 - 2.6 2.9 6.6 .438 - - - 1.1 1.5 .761
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts ------- --- ----------
Max Strus ------- --- ----------

Season 12
Mel Counts Max Strus
Season 1975-76-
Team New Orleans Jazz-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts 30 10.6 3.0 0.9 2.4 3.3 1.3 0.5 0.3 - 2.5 1.2 3.0 .407 - - - 0.5 0.7 .762
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Mel Counts ------- --- ----------
Max Strus ------- --- ----------
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