Michael Cooper vs. Josh Giddey Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Josh Giddey 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 / 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.

Michael Cooper played 12 years in the NBA, 8 more than Josh Giddey, who played 4. Michael Cooper had the first of his seasons in 1978-79, while Josh Giddey had his rookie season in 2021-22. 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
Josh Giddey 4 1 2021-22 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4

Rookie Season

Michael Cooper Josh Giddey
Season 1978-792021-22
Team Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
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%
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:+51+29.2+10.5+1.8+6.0+7.8+6.4+0.6+0.4-2.9-1.3+4.2+10.4+.081+1.0+1.5
Josh Giddey 54 31.5 12.5 1.8 6.0 7.8 6.4 0.9 0.4 3.2 1.6 5.2 12.4 .419 1.0 3.9 .263 1.0 1.5 .709
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Michael Cooper nor Josh Giddey played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Michael Cooper Josh Giddey
Season 1979-802022-23
Team Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
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:+6+7.1+7.8+0.7+4.3+5.1+3.5+0.2+0.1-1.1-0.7+3.4+7.7+.042+0.9+2.9+.075+0.2+.045
Josh Giddey 76 31.2 16.6 1.9 5.9 7.9 6.2 0.8 0.4 2.8 1.9 7.1 14.7 .482 1.0 3.1 .325 1.4 1.9 .731
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
Josh Giddey DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3

Michael Cooper Josh Giddey
Season 1980-812023-24
Team Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Playoffs Lakers Lost West Conf 1st RdThunder Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
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:+1+7.3+2.9+0.1+2.3+2.3+0.7+0.9+0.4-0.1-1.7+1.0+2.5+.016+1.0+2.8+.126+0.1+0.2+.021
Josh Giddey 80 25.1 12.3 1.4 5.0 6.4 4.8 0.7 0.6 2.1 1.4 5.0 10.6 .475 1.0 3.0 .337 1.3 1.6 .806
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:+7+15.9+2.0+0.2+0.3+0.2+1.8+0.4-1.1-1.4+0.3+0.8+.097+1.2+2.4+.353+2.6+3.9+.161
Josh Giddey 10 18.1 8.7 0.7 2.9 3.6 2.1 0.2 0.4 1.2 0.9 3.4 7.5 .453 1.2 3.4 .353 0.7 0.8 .875

Season 4

Michael Cooper Josh Giddey
Season 1981-822024-25
Team Los Angeles LakersChicago Bulls
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:+6+1.3+2.7+0.7+3.9+4.6+4.2+0.4+0.2-0.9-1.1+0.3+1.6+.052+1.5+3.8+.260+0.7+0.9+.032
Josh Giddey 70 30.2 14.6 1.8 6.3 8.1 7.2 1.2 0.6 2.9 1.7 5.3 11.4 .465 1.5 4.0 .378 2.5 3.2 .781
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
Josh Giddey DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Michael Cooper played 8 seasons more than Josh Giddey in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 5 to 12, from 1983 to 1990—Michael Cooper played in 8 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships.

In those 8 extra years over Josh Giddey, Michael Cooper got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 4 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 2 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 1 Defensive Player of the Year