Nikola Jokic vs. Ausar Thompson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ausar Thompson and Nikola Jokic, 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 / Games against each other

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.

Nikola Jokic played 11 years in the NBA, 8 more than Ausar Thompson, who played 3. Nikola Jokic had the first of his seasons in 2015-16, while Ausar Thompson had his rookie season in 2023-24. 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
Nikola Jokic 11 7 2015-16 to 2025-26
Ausar Thompson 3 1 2023-24 to 2025-26

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3

Rookie Season
Nikola Jokic Ausar Thompson
Season 2015-162023-24
Team Denver NuggetsDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First 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%
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
difference:+17+3.4+1.2+0.3+0.4+0.6+0.5+0.1+0.3-0.2+0.1+0.1+.029+0.1+0.7+.147+0.8+0.5+.214
Ausar Thompson 63 25.1 8.8 2.0 4.3 6.4 1.9 1.1 0.9 1.3 2.8 3.7 7.6 .483 0.3 1.8 .186 1.1 1.9 .597
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Nikola Jokic nor Ausar Thompson played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Nikola Jokic Ausar Thompson
Season 2016-172024-25
Team Denver NuggetsDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayPistons Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
difference:+14+5.4+6.6+1.0+3.6+4.7+2.6+0.9+0.1-0.9-0.1+2.6+3.9+.043+0.4+1.1+.100+1.1+0.7+.184
Ausar Thompson 59 22.5 10.1 1.9 3.3 5.1 2.3 1.7 0.7 1.4 2.8 4.2 7.8 .535 0.2 0.8 .224 1.5 2.4 .641
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Nikola Jokic DNP------ --- ----------
Ausar Thompson 6 22.5 11.5 1.3 3.8 5.2 1.0 1.2 0.8 1.8 4.2 4.0 7.0 .571 0.0 0.3 .000 3.5 6.0 .583

Season 3
Nikola Jokic Ausar Thompson
Season 2017-182025-26
Team Denver NuggetsDetroit Pistons
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%
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
difference:+52+6.0+7.1+0.6+4.3+4.9+3.3+0.2+0.1-1.4-0.2+2.0+4.3+.018+1.3+3.0+.083+1.8+0.9+.324
Ausar Thompson 23 26.6 11.4 2.0 3.8 5.8 2.8 1.4 0.7 1.4 2.6 4.7 9.2 .517 0.2 0.7 .313 1.7 3.3 .526
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Nikola Jokic nor Ausar Thompson played in the postseason in their season 3

Additional Years

* Nikola Jokic played 8 seasons more than Ausar Thompson in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 4 to 11, from 2019 to 2026—Nikola Jokic played in 7 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 8 extra years over Ausar Thompson, Nikola Jokic got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 3 Season MVP
Achievement 5 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 2 All-NBA Second Team
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
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