Michael Cooper vs. Jaxson Hayes Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jaxson Hayes and Michael Cooper, 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.

Michael Cooper played 12 years in the NBA, 6 more than Jaxson Hayes, who played 6. Michael Cooper had the first of his seasons in 1978-79, while Jaxson Hayes 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
Michael Cooper 12 11 1978-79 to 1989-90
Jaxson Hayes 6 3 2019-20 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1978-792019-20
Team Los Angeles LakersNew Orleans Pelicans
Honors & Awards
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%
Michael Cooper 3 2.3 2.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 1.0 2.0 .500 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
difference:+61+14.6+5.4+1.5+2.5+4.0+0.9+0.1+0.9-0.5-2.2+1.7+2.0+.172+1.9+3.0
Jaxson Hayes 64 16.9 7.4 1.5 2.5 4.0 0.9 0.4 0.9 0.8 2.5 2.7 4.0 .672 0.0 0.1 .250 1.9 3.0 .647
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Michael Cooper nor Jaxson Hayes played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1979-802020-21
Team Los Angeles LakersNew Orleans Pelicans
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid 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%
Michael Cooper 82 24.1 8.8 1.2 1.6 2.8 2.7 1.0 0.5 1.7 2.6 3.7 7.0 .524 0.1 0.2 .250 1.4 1.7 .776
difference:+22+8.0+1.3+0.3+1.2+1.5+2.1+0.6+0.1-1.0-0.9+0.8+2.3+.101+.179+0.2+0.3+.001
Jaxson Hayes 60 16.1 7.5 1.5 2.8 4.3 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.7 1.7 2.9 4.7 .625 0.1 0.2 .429 1.6 2.0 .775
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 16 29.0 9.1 1.8 1.9 3.7 3.6 1.5 0.7 1.8 3.4 3.6 8.8 .407 0.0 0.1 .000 1.9 2.3 .861
Jaxson Hayes DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1980-812021-22
Team Los Angeles LakersNew Orleans Pelicans
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf 1st RdPelicans Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 81 32.4 9.4 1.5 2.7 4.1 4.1 1.6 1.0 2.0 3.1 4.0 8.1 .491 0.0 0.2 .211 1.4 1.8 .785
difference:+11+12.4+0.1+0.1+0.2+0.4+3.5+1.1+0.2-1.2-0.9+0.5+2.4+.125+0.3+0.6+.140+0.7+0.9+.019
Jaxson Hayes 70 20.0 9.3 1.6 2.9 4.5 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.8 2.2 3.5 5.7 .616 0.3 0.8 .351 2.1 2.7 .766
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 3 34.0 10.7 0.7 2.7 3.3 2.3 2.0 0.0 2.3 2.3 3.7 6.7 .550 0.0 1.0 .000 3.3 4.7 .714
difference:+3+20.2+4.9+0.9+0.8+2.1+2.0+0.3-1.6-0.5+1.4+2.5+.010+0.5+2.1+2.9+.078
Jaxson Hayes 6 13.8 5.8 0.7 1.8 2.5 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.7 1.8 2.3 4.2 .560 0.0 0.5 .000 1.2 1.8 .636

Season 4
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1981-822022-23
Team Los Angeles LakersNew Orleans Pelicans
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 76 28.9 11.9 1.1 2.4 3.5 3.0 1.6 0.8 2.0 2.8 5.0 9.8 .517 0.0 0.2 .118 1.8 2.3 .813
difference:+29+15.9+6.9+0.3+0.4+0.7+2.3+1.2+0.4-1.3-1.4+3.2+6.5+.034+0.1+0.4+.015+0.6+0.5+.114
Jaxson Hayes 47 13.0 5.0 0.8 2.0 2.8 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.7 1.4 1.8 3.3 .551 0.1 0.6 .103 1.2 1.8 .699
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 14 27.4 11.9 1.4 3.0 4.4 4.4 1.7 0.8 2.1 3.4 5.0 8.9 .565 0.1 0.1 .500 1.8 2.4 .735
Jaxson Hayes DNP------ --- ----------

Season 5
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1982-832023-24
Team Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsLakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
Others -NBA Cup NBA Cup 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%
Michael Cooper 82 26.2 7.8 1.0 2.3 3.3 3.8 1.4 0.6 1.6 2.5 3.2 6.1 .535 0.1 0.3 .238 1.2 1.6 .785
difference:+12+13.7+3.5+0.3+0.3+3.3+0.9+0.2-1.0-0.7+1.4+3.6+.185+0.1+0.2+.238+0.5+0.4+.163
Jaxson Hayes 70 12.5 4.3 1.0 2.0 3.0 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 1.8 1.8 2.5 .720 0.0 0.1 .000 0.7 1.2 .622
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 15 30.2 9.4 0.8 3.1 3.9 2.9 1.7 0.4 1.3 3.6 3.5 7.6 .465 0.1 0.5 .143 2.3 2.7 .829
difference:+11+24.2+9.1+0.8+0.9+2.6+1.7+0.4-0.8-1.8+3.5+7.1+.465+0.1+0.5+2.0+2.2+.329
Jaxson Hayes 4 6.0 0.3 0.8 2.3 3.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.8 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.5 .500

Season 6
Michael Cooper Jaxson Hayes
Season 1983-842024-25
Team Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs Lakers Lost NBA FinalsLakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 82 29.1 9.0 0.6 2.5 3.2 5.9 1.4 0.8 1.8 3.3 3.3 6.7 .497 0.5 1.5 .314 1.9 2.3 .838
difference:+26+9.6+2.2+0.8+0.9+1.6+4.9+0.8+0.1-1.0-0.9+0.4+2.7+.225+0.5+1.4+.314+0.8+0.5+.216
Jaxson Hayes 56 19.5 6.8 1.4 3.4 4.8 1.0 0.6 0.9 0.8 2.4 2.9 4.0 .722 0.0 0.1 .000 1.1 1.8 .622
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Cooper 21 34.4 11.3 1.0 3.0 3.9 5.7 1.1 1.0 1.4 3.8 4.2 9.1 .461 0.6 1.7 .333 2.4 3.0 .806
difference:+17+26.6+9.5+0.3+2.2+1.9+5.4+1.1+0.7-1.1-1.8+3.4+7.1+.086+0.6+1.7+2.1+2.5+.306
Jaxson Hayes 4 7.8 1.8 1.3 0.8 2.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 2.0 0.8 2.0 .375 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.5 .500

Additional Years

* Michael Cooper played 6 seasons more than Jaxson Hayes in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 12, from 1985 to 1990—Michael Cooper played in 6 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships.

In those 6 extra years over Jaxson Hayes, Michael Cooper got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 3 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 1 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 1 Defensive Player of the Year
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