Michael Cooper vs. Kevin Willis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kevin Willis 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.

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, 9 less than Kevin Willis, who played 21. Michael Cooper had the first of his seasons in 1978-79, while Kevin Willis had his rookie season in 1984-85. 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.

Season 2
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1979-80	1985-86
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Hawks Lost East Conf Semis

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:		+3.9	+3.5	+1.8	+4.0	+5.8	+2.2	+0.2		-0.5	-1.0	+1.4	+2.9	+.007	+0.1	+0.1	+.250	+0.7	+1.5	+.122
Kevin Willis	82	28.0	12.3	3.0	5.6	8.6	0.5	0.8	0.5	2.2	3.6	5.1	9.9	.517	0.0	0.1	.000	2.1	3.2	.654
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
difference:	+7	+2.1	+4.8	+1.6	+1.9	+3.5	+3.0	+0.7	+0.2	-0.1	-0.8	+2.5	+2.1	+.154		+0.1		+0.2	+0.3	+.209
Kevin Willis	9	31.1	13.9	3.4	3.8	7.2	0.6	0.8	0.9	1.7	4.2	6.1	10.9	.561	0.0	0.0	-	1.7	2.6	.652

Season 3
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1980-81	1986-87
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive Second Team	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Hawks Lost East Conf Semis

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:			+6.7	+2.5	+3.8	+6.4	+3.3	+0.8	+0.2	-0.1	-0.8	+2.6	+4.3	+.045		+0.2		+1.4	+2.2	+.076
Kevin Willis	81	32.4	16.1	4.0	6.5	10.5	0.8	0.8	0.8	2.1	3.9	6.6	12.4	.536	0.0	0.0	-	2.8	4.0	.709
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+6	+5.6	+5.0	+3.0	+2.9	+5.9	+1.6	+1.0	+0.8	-0.4	-1.4	+3.0	+6.1	+.028		+1.0		+1.0	+1.3	+.037
Kevin Willis	9	39.6	15.7	3.7	5.6	9.2	0.7	1.0	0.8	1.9	3.7	6.7	12.8	.522	0.0	0.0	-	2.3	3.4	.677

Season 4
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1981-82	1987-88
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Hawks Lost East Conf Semis

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+1	+1.0	+0.3	+2.0	+1.8	+3.8	+2.6	+0.7	+0.3	-0.2	-0.4	+0.3	+0.6	+.001		+0.2		+0.3	+1.0	+.164
Kevin Willis	75	27.9	11.6	3.1	4.2	7.3	0.4	0.9	0.5	1.8	3.2	4.7	9.2	.518	0.0	0.0	-	2.1	3.3	.649
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
difference:	+2	+11.1	+4.3	+1.6	+3.0	+4.6	+3.5	+0.9			-0.9	+1.7	+2.6	+.015	+0.1		+.500	+1.0	+1.8	+.055
Kevin Willis	12	38.5	16.2	3.0	6.0	9.0	0.9	0.8	0.8	2.1	4.3	6.7	11.5	.580	0.0	0.1	.000	2.8	4.2	.680

Note: Kevin Willis didn't play in 1988-89.

Season 5
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1982-83	1989-90
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive Second Team	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+1	+1.9	+4.6	+2.1	+2.5	+4.7	+3.1	+0.6		-0.2	-0.7	+2.0	+3.8	+.016	+0.1	+0.2	+.048	+0.9	+1.4	+.102
Kevin Willis	81	28.1	12.4	3.1	4.8	8.0	0.7	0.8	0.6	1.8	3.2	5.2	9.9	.519	0.0	0.1	.286	2.1	3.0	.683
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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
Kevin Willis	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 6
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1983-84	1990-91
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost NBA Finals	Hawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+2	+0.6	+4.1	+2.6	+3.1	+5.6	+4.7	+0.6	+0.3	-0.1	-0.4	+2.3	+4.3	+.007	+0.4	+1.4	+.086	+0.1	+0.7	+.170
Kevin Willis	80	29.7	13.1	3.2	5.6	8.8	1.2	0.8	0.5	1.9	2.9	5.6	11.0	.504	0.1	0.1	.400	2.0	3.0	.668
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	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:	+16	+2.6	+4.1	+2.6	+2.4	+5.1	+4.7	+0.5	+0.8	-1.0	-0.6	+1.2	+4.3	+.058	+0.2	+1.1	+.334	+1.8	+3.0	+.106
Kevin Willis	5	31.8	15.4	3.6	5.4	9.0	1.0	0.6	0.2	0.4	4.4	5.4	13.4	.403	0.4	0.6	.667	4.2	6.0	.700

Season 7
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1984-85	1991-92
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Third Team
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Did Not Play

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	82	26.7	8.6	0.7	2.4	3.1	5.2	1.1	0.6	1.9	2.5	3.4	7.2	.465	0.4	1.5	.285	1.4	1.6	.865
difference:	+1	+9.9	+9.7	+4.5	+8.0	+12.4	+3.1	+0.2	+0.1	-0.5	-0.3	+3.9	+7.9	+.018	+0.3	+1.0	+.123	+2.2	+2.9	+.061
Kevin Willis	81	36.6	18.3	5.2	10.4	15.5	2.1	0.9	0.7	2.4	2.8	7.3	15.1	.483	0.1	0.5	.162	3.6	4.5	.804
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	19	26.4	10.4	0.6	3.4	4.0	4.9	1.1	0.5	1.9	2.4	3.7	6.6	.563	0.4	1.4	.308	2.5	2.7	.923
Kevin Willis	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 8
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1985-86	1992-93
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive Second Team	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf Finals	Hawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	82	27.7	9.2	0.5	2.4	3.0	5.7	1.1	0.5	1.8	2.9	3.3	7.4	.452	0.8	2.0	.387	1.8	2.1	.865
difference:	+2	+8.3	+8.7	+3.7	+6.3	+9.9	+3.6	+0.2		-0.9	-0.4	+4.4	+7.8	+.054	+0.7	+1.6	+.146	+0.7	+1.7	+.212
Kevin Willis	80	36.0	17.9	4.2	8.7	12.9	2.1	0.9	0.5	2.7	3.3	7.7	15.2	.506	0.1	0.4	.241	2.5	3.8	.653
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	14	30.1	9.7	1.1	2.1	3.3	4.9	1.3	0.3	1.5	1.7	3.9	8.2	.470	1.4	2.9	.463	0.6	0.8	.818
difference:	+11	+4.2	+7.0	+3.2	+2.2	+5.4	+3.9	+0.6	+0.3	-0.8	-2.6	+3.1	+6.8	+.003	+1.4	+2.6	+.463	+2.1	+3.9	+.247
Kevin Willis	3	34.3	16.7	4.3	4.3	8.7	1.0	0.7	0.0	2.3	4.3	7.0	15.0	.467	0.0	0.3	.000	2.7	4.7	.571

Season 9
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1986-87	1993-94
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Defensive Player of the Year	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Hawks Lost East Conf Semis

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9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	82	27.5	10.5	0.7	2.4	3.1	4.5	1.0	0.5	1.2	2.4	3.9	9.0	.438	1.1	2.8	.385	1.5	1.8	.851
difference:	+2	+8.3	+8.6	+3.5	+5.5	+8.9	+2.6			-1.2	-0.7	+3.9	+6.7	+.061	+1.0	+2.5	+.010	+1.9	+2.9	+.138
Kevin Willis	80	35.8	19.1	4.2	7.9	12.0	1.9	1.0	0.5	2.4	3.1	7.8	15.7	.499	0.1	0.3	.375	3.4	4.7	.713
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	18	29.0	13.0	0.4	2.8	3.3	5.0	1.4	0.8	2.1	2.6	4.3	8.8	.484	1.9	3.9	.486	2.6	3.0	.852
difference:	+7	+3.9	+0.8	+3.1	+4.6	+7.5	+4.0	+0.7	+0.3	-0.4	-0.8	+1.1	+2.9	+.027	+1.9	+3.4	+.486	+1.1	+1.1	+.090
Kevin Willis	11	32.9	12.2	3.5	7.4	10.8	1.0	0.7	0.5	1.7	3.4	5.4	11.7	.457	0.0	0.5	.000	1.5	1.9	.762

Season 10
	Michael Cooper	Kevin Willis
Season	1987-88	1994-95
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Did Not Play

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10th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	61	29.4	8.7	0.8	2.9	3.7	4.7	1.1	0.4	1.7	2.2	3.1	7.9	.392	0.9	2.9	.320	1.6	1.9	.858
difference:	+6	+6.3	+8.5	+2.6	+4.6	+7.2	+3.4	+0.2	+0.1	-0.7	-1.0	+4.0	+7.2	+.074	+0.9	+2.7	+.120	+1.5	+2.5	+.168
Kevin Willis	67	35.7	17.2	3.4	7.5	10.9	1.3	0.9	0.5	2.4	3.2	7.1	15.1	.466	0.0	0.2	.200	3.1	4.4	.690
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Michael Cooper	24	24.5	6.4	0.6	1.8	2.4	2.8	0.8	0.4	0.9	2.4	2.3	5.5	.412	1.0	2.6	.403	0.8	1.1	.741
Kevin Willis	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-