Nikola Jokic vs. Brandon Rush Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Brandon Rush 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 and Brandon Rush both played 9 years in the NBA. Nikola Jokic had the first of his seasons in 2015-16, while Brandon Rush had his rookie season in 2008-09. 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 achivements, 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 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24
Brandon Rush 9 3 2008-09 to 2016-17

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2015-162008-09
Team Denver NuggetsIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
Brandon Rush 75 24.0 8.1 0.5 2.7 3.1 0.9 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.7 3.2 7.7 .423 1.0 2.8 .373 0.6 0.9 .697
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2016-172009-10
Team Denver NuggetsIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
Brandon Rush 82 30.4 9.4 0.5 3.7 4.2 1.4 0.7 0.8 1.1 1.9 3.6 8.6 .423 1.5 3.7 .411 0.7 1.1 .629
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2017-182010-11
Team Denver NuggetsIndiana Pacers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayPacers Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF 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
Brandon Rush 67 26.2 9.1 0.5 2.7 3.2 0.9 0.6 0.5 1.0 1.6 3.2 7.7 .421 1.4 3.3 .417 1.2 1.6 .755
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Brandon Rush 5 11.0 3.2 0.0 1.4 1.4 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.0 1.2 2.6 .462 0.6 0.8 .750 0.2 0.4 .500

Season 4

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2018-192011-12
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Brandon Rush 65 26.4 9.8 0.5 3.4 3.9 1.4 0.5 0.9 1.0 1.0 3.6 7.2 .501 1.5 3.4 .452 1.0 1.3 .793
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------

Season 5

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2019-202012-13
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Brandon Rush 2 12.5 7.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 2.5 3.0 4.5 .667 0.0 1.0 .000 1.0 1.5 .667
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2020-212013-14
Team Denver NuggetsUtah Jazz
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Brandon Rush 38 11.0 2.1 0.1 1.0 1.2 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.8 2.4 .333 0.4 1.2 .340 0.1 0.1 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------

Season 7

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2021-222014-15
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf 1st RdNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Brandon Rush 33 8.2 0.9 0.1 1.1 1.2 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.3 1.6 .204 0.1 0.8 .111 0.2 0.3 .455
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848
Brandon Rush 3 2.3 1.0 0.3 0.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.3 2.0 .167 0.3 0.7 .500 0.0 0.0 -

Season 8

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2022-232015-16
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Finals MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionWarriors Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Brandon Rush 72 14.7 4.2 0.3 2.2 2.5 0.8 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.8 1.5 3.6 .427 0.9 2.2 .414 0.3 0.4 .643
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799
Brandon Rush 14 7.9 1.6 0.0 1.6 1.6 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.6 1.4 .450 0.3 0.9 .333 0.1 0.1 .500

Season 9

Nikola Jokic Brandon Rush
Season 2023-242016-17
Team Denver NuggetsMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets TBDDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Brandon Rush 47 21.9 4.2 0.3 1.8 2.1 1.0 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.5 4.0 .374 0.9 2.4 .386 0.3 0.4 .722
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 9 39.9 27.6 3.6 10.4 14.0 9.1 1.7 0.7 3.8 3.0 10.7 19.4 .549 1.1 4.0 .278 5.1 5.7 .902
Brandon Rush ------- --- ----------