Michael Porter Jr. vs. Kenny Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kenny Smith and Michael Porter Jr., 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 Porter Jr. played 6 years in the NBA, 4 less than Kenny Smith, who played 10. Michael Porter Jr. had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Kenny Smith had his rookie season in 1987-88. 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 Porter Jr. 6 5 2019-20 to 2024-25
Kenny Smith 10 5 1987-88 to 1996-97

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2019-201987-88
Team Denver NuggetsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf FinalsDid 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 Porter Jr. 55 16.4 9.3 1.2 3.5 4.7 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.8 3.5 7.0 .509 1.1 2.7 .422 1.1 1.3 .833
difference:+6+19.2+4.5+0.5+1.9+2.4+6.3+1.0+0.4-2.1-0.5+1.9+4.4+.032+0.9+2.1+.114+1.6+2.0+.014
Kenny Smith 61 35.6 13.8 0.7 1.6 2.3 7.1 1.5 0.1 3.0 2.3 5.4 11.4 .477 0.2 0.6 .308 2.7 3.3 .819
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Porter Jr. 19 23.7 11.4 1.1 5.6 6.7 0.8 0.7 0.3 1.3 2.3 4.1 8.6 .476 1.8 4.7 .382 1.4 1.8 .743
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2020-211988-89
Team Denver NuggetsSacramento Kings
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisDid 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 Porter Jr. 61 31.3 19.0 1.5 5.8 7.3 1.1 0.7 0.9 1.3 2.1 7.3 13.4 .542 2.8 6.3 .445 1.7 2.2 .791
difference:+20+7.5+1.7+0.9+3.6+4.5+6.6+0.6+0.8-1.8+0.5+1.2+.080+2.2+4.7+.086+1.5+2.2+.054
Kenny Smith 81 38.8 17.3 0.6 2.2 2.8 7.7 1.3 0.1 3.1 2.1 6.8 14.6 .462 0.6 1.6 .359 3.2 4.4 .737
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Porter Jr. 10 33.2 17.4 1.2 5.0 6.2 1.3 1.1 0.3 1.6 3.1 6.4 13.5 .474 2.9 7.3 .397 1.7 2.1 .810
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2021-221989-90
Team Denver NuggetsSacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks
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%
Michael Porter Jr. 9 29.4 9.9 1.0 5.6 6.6 1.9 1.1 0.2 1.3 1.8 4.1 11.4 .359 1.1 5.3 .208 0.6 1.0 .556
difference:+70+1.2+2.0+0.8+3.8+4.6+3.7+0.1+0.1-0.8+0.7+1.1+.107+0.8+4.2+.105+1.4+1.5+.265
Kenny Smith 79 30.6 11.9 0.2 1.8 2.0 5.6 1.0 0.1 2.1 1.8 4.8 10.3 .466 0.3 1.1 .313 2.0 2.5 .821
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Michael Porter Jr. nor Kenny Smith played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2022-231990-91
Team Denver NuggetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionRockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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 Porter Jr. 62 29.0 17.4 1.0 4.5 5.5 1.0 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.9 6.4 13.2 .487 3.0 7.3 .414 1.5 1.9 .800
difference:+16+5.6+0.3+0.5+2.9+3.4+6.1+0.8+0.4-1.9-0.2+0.3+0.3+.033+2.4+5.6+.051+2.2+2.5+.044
Kenny Smith 78 34.6 17.7 0.5 1.6 2.1 7.1 1.4 0.1 3.0 1.7 6.7 12.9 .520 0.6 1.7 .363 3.7 4.4 .844
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Porter Jr. 20 32.7 13.4 1.0 7.1 8.1 1.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 2.1 5.0 11.7 .423 2.3 6.6 .351 1.2 1.5 .793
difference:+17+5.0+1.9+0.3+5.8+5.4+6.4+0.8+0.3-1.5-0.4+1.0+1.0+.051+1.6+5.3+.149+1.5+1.5+.096
Kenny Smith 3 37.7 15.3 1.3 1.3 2.7 8.0 1.3 0.3 2.0 1.7 6.0 12.7 .474 0.7 1.3 .500 2.7 3.0 .889

Season 5

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2023-241991-92
Team Denver NuggetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
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 Porter Jr. 81 31.7 16.7 1.3 5.7 7.0 1.5 0.5 0.7 1.1 1.8 6.4 13.3 .484 2.7 6.8 .397 1.1 1.4 .836
difference:+2.1+2.7+0.9+3.9+4.8+5.4+0.8+0.6-1.7-0.4+1.1+2.1+.009+2.0+5.1+.003+1.6+1.7+.030
Kenny Smith 81 33.8 14.0 0.4 1.8 2.2 6.9 1.3 0.1 2.8 1.4 5.3 11.2 .475 0.7 1.7 .394 2.7 3.1 .866
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Porter Jr. 12 36.9 15.8 0.7 6.2 6.8 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.5 2.3 5.7 12.2 .466 2.8 6.8 .407 1.7 2.2 .769
Kenny Smith DNP------ --- ----------

Season 6

Michael Porter Jr. Kenny Smith
Season 2024-251992-93
Team Denver NuggetsHouston Rockets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisRockets Lost West Conf Semis
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 Porter Jr. 77 33.7 18.2 1.8 5.2 7.0 2.1 0.6 0.5 1.4 2.0 6.9 13.6 .504 2.5 6.4 .395 1.9 2.5 .768
difference:+5+4.2+5.2+1.5+3.6+5.0+3.3+0.4+0.4-0.6-0.7+2.2+4.5+.016+1.3+3.7+.043+0.5+0.2+.110
Kenny Smith 82 29.5 13.0 0.3 1.6 2.0 5.4 1.0 0.1 2.0 1.3 4.7 9.1 .520 1.2 2.7 .438 2.4 2.7 .878
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Michael Porter Jr. 14 31.1 9.1 1.0 4.5 5.5 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.9 1.9 3.4 8.6 .392 1.7 5.0 .343 0.7 1.0 .714
difference:+2+1.5+5.7+0.8+2.7+3.5+3.6+0.2+0.3-1.3-0.4+1.9+2.1+.100+0.2+1.2+.157+1.6+2.0+.064
Kenny Smith 12 32.6 14.8 0.2 1.8 2.0 4.2 0.8 0.1 2.2 1.5 5.3 10.7 .492 1.9 3.8 .500 2.3 3.0 .778

Additional Years

* Kenny Smith played 4 seasons more than Michael Porter Jr. in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 10, from 1994 to 1997—Kenny Smith played in 3 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships.