Paolo Banchero vs. Dwight Howard Season by Season Comparison
Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Dwight Howard and Paolo Banchero, 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.
Paolo Banchero played 4 years in the NBA, 14 less than Dwight Howard, who played 18. Paolo Banchero had the first of his seasons in 2022-23, while Dwight Howard had his rookie season in 2004-05. 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 |
| Paolo Banchero | 4 | 2 | 2022-23 to 2025-26 |
| Dwight Howard | 18 | 12 | 2004-05 to 2021-22 |
Rookie Season |
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| Paolo Banchero | Dwight Howard | |
| Season | 2022-23 | 2004-05 |
| Team | Orlando Magic | Orlando Magic |
| Honors & Awards |  Rookie of the Year | - |
| All-Rookie First Team | All-Rookie First Team | |
| Playoffs | Did not play | Did not play |
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Rookie Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 72 | 33.8 | 20.0 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 6.7 | 15.6 | .427 | 1.2 | 4.0 | .298 | 5.5 | 7.4 | .738 |
| difference: | +10 | +1.2 | +8.0 | +2.3 | +0.8 | +3.1 | +2.8 | +0.1 | +1.2 | -0.8 | -0.6 | +2.4 | +7.3 | +.093 | +1.2 | +4.0 | +2.1 | +2.4 | +.067 | |
| Dwight Howard | 82 | 32.6 | 12.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 10.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 8.3 | .520 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 3.4 | 5.0 | .671 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Neiher Paolo Banchero nor Dwight Howard played in the postseason in their season 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2 |
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| Paolo Banchero | Dwight Howard | |
| Season | 2023-24 | 2005-06 |
| Team | Orlando Magic | Orlando Magic |
| Honors & Awards | All-Star Game | - |
| Playoffs | Magic Lost East Conf 1st Rd | Did not play |
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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 | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 80 | 35.0 | 22.6 | 1.0 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 5.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 8.0 | 17.6 | .455 | 1.5 | 4.4 | .339 | 5.1 | 7.0 | .725 |
| difference: | +2 | +1.8 | +6.8 | +2.5 | +3.1 | +5.6 | +3.9 | +0.1 | +0.8 | -0.5 | -1.5 | +2.3 | +6.9 | +.076 | +1.5 | +4.4 | +0.8 | +0.3 | +.130 | |
| Dwight Howard | 82 | 36.8 | 15.8 | 3.5 | 9.0 | 12.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 5.7 | 10.7 | .531 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 4.3 | 7.3 | .595 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 7 | 37.4 | 27.0 | 2.0 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 9.7 | 21.3 | .456 | 2.3 | 5.7 | .400 | 5.3 | 7.0 | .755 |
| Dwight Howard | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Season 3 |
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| Paolo Banchero | Dwight Howard | |
| Season | 2024-25 | 2006-07 |
| Team | Orlando Magic | Orlando Magic |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-NBA Third Team |
| - | All-Star Game | |
| Playoffs | Magic Lost East Conf 1st Rd | Magic Lost East Conf 1st Rd |
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 46 | 34.4 | 25.9 | 1.1 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 9.0 | 19.8 | .452 | 1.9 | 5.9 | .320 | 6.1 | 8.4 | .727 |
| difference: | +36 | +2.5 | +8.3 | +2.4 | +2.4 | +4.8 | +2.9 | +0.1 | +1.3 | -0.9 | -0.9 | +2.6 | +9.2 | +.151 | +1.9 | +5.9 | +1.3 | +0.3 | +.141 | |
| Dwight Howard | 82 | 36.9 | 17.6 | 3.5 | 8.8 | 12.3 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 6.4 | 10.6 | .603 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 4.8 | 8.1 | .586 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 5 | 39.4 | 29.4 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 10.8 | 24.8 | .435 | 2.4 | 5.4 | .444 | 5.4 | 8.2 | .659 |
| difference: | +1 | +2.4 | +14.1 | +1.6 | +4.8 | +6.4 | +2.4 | +0.1 | +0.2 | -1.3 | -0.3 | +5.0 | +14.3 | +.113 | +2.4 | +5.4 | +1.6 | +0.1 | +.204 | |
| Dwight Howard | 4 | 41.8 | 15.3 | 4.0 | 10.8 | 14.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 5.8 | 10.5 | .548 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 3.8 | 8.3 | .455 |
Season 4 |
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| Paolo Banchero | Dwight Howard | |
| Season | 2025-26 | 2007-08 |
| Team | Orlando Magic | Orlando Magic |
| Honors & Awards | - | All-NBA First Team |
| - | All-Defensive Second Team | |
| - | Rebounds Leader | |
| - | All-Star Game | |
| Playoffs | Did not play (season in progress) | Magic Lost East Conf Semis |
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | 23 | 33.1 | 19.9 | 1.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 4.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 6.5 | 14.9 | .434 | 0.9 | 3.7 | .238 | 6.1 | 8.0 | .757 |
| difference: | +59 | +4.6 | +0.8 | +2.4 | +3.3 | +5.7 | +3.4 | +0.3 | +1.4 | -0.8 | -1.0 | +0.6 | +3.0 | +.165 | +0.9 | +3.7 | +0.4 | +2.9 | +.167 | |
| Dwight Howard | 82 | 37.7 | 20.7 | 3.4 | 10.8 | 14.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 7.1 | 11.9 | .599 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 6.5 | 10.9 | .590 |
| Playoffs Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G | Min | Pts | ORb | DRb | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | PF | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | ||||
| Paolo Banchero | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dwight Howard | 10 | 42.1 | 18.9 | 6.0 | 9.8 | 15.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 7.2 | 12.4 | .581 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | 4.5 | 8.3 | .542 |
Additional Years |
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* Dwight Howard played 14 seasons more than Paolo Banchero in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 5 to 18, from 2009 to 2022—Dwight Howard played in 10 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship. In those 14 extra years over Paolo Banchero, Dwight Howard got these achievements: | |
| Honors & Awards | 4 All-NBA First Team 1 All-NBA Second Team 1 All-NBA Third Team 4 All-Defensive First Team 3 Defensive Player of the Year 4 Rebounds Leader 2 Blocks Leader 6 All-Star Game |