RJ Barrett vs. Elgin Baylor Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Elgin Baylor and RJ Barrett, 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.

RJ Barrett played 6 years in the NBA, 8 less than Elgin Baylor, who played 14. RJ Barrett had the first of his seasons in 2019-20, while Elgin Baylor had his rookie season in 1958-59. 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
RJ Barrett 6 2 2019-20 to 2024-25
Elgin Baylor 14 12 1958-59 to 1971-72

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2019-201958-59
Team New York KnicksMinneapolis Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Star Game
-Achievement All-Star Game MVP
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 56 30.4 14.3 0.9 4.1 5.0 2.6 1.0 0.3 2.2 2.2 5.2 13.0 .402 1.1 3.5 .320 2.8 4.5 .614
difference:+14+10.4+10.6+10.0+1.5-1.7+3.4+8.2+.006+4.8+5.3+.163
Elgin Baylor 70 40.8 24.9 - - 15.0 4.1 - - - 3.9 8.6 21.2 .408 - - - 7.6 9.8 .777
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Elgin Baylor 13 42.8 25.5 - - 12.0 3.3 - - - 4.0 9.4 23.3 .403 - - - 6.7 8.7 .770

Season 2
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2020-211959-60
Team New York KnicksMinneapolis Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf 1st RdLakers Lost West Div Finals
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 72 34.9 17.6 0.9 4.8 5.8 3.0 0.7 0.3 1.9 2.6 6.5 14.7 .441 1.7 4.3 .401 2.9 3.8 .746
difference:+2+6.1+12.0+10.6+0.5-0.7+4.3+10.7+.017+5.2+7.2+.014
Elgin Baylor 70 41.0 29.6 - - 16.4 3.5 - - - 3.3 10.8 25.4 .424 - - - 8.1 11.0 .732
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 5 32.4 14.4 0.8 6.4 7.2 3.0 0.8 0.4 0.4 2.2 5.2 13.4 .388 1.6 5.6 .286 2.4 3.0 .800
difference:+4+12.9+19.0+6.9+0.4-2.0+7.1+12.6+.086+6.4+7.4+.040
Elgin Baylor 9 45.3 33.4 - - 14.1 3.4 - - - 4.2 12.3 26.0 .474 - - - 8.8 10.4 .840

Season 3
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2021-221960-61
Team New York KnicksLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost West Div Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 70 34.5 20.0 0.9 4.9 5.8 3.0 0.6 0.2 2.2 2.0 7.0 17.1 .408 2.0 5.8 .342 4.1 5.8 .714
difference:+3+8.4+14.8+14.0+2.1-1.8+5.8+12.6+.022+5.2+6.0+.069
Elgin Baylor 73 42.9 34.8 - - 19.8 5.1 - - - 3.8 12.8 29.7 .430 - - - 9.3 11.8 .783
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Elgin Baylor 12 45.0 38.1 - - 15.3 4.6 - - - 3.7 14.2 30.2 .470 - - - 9.8 11.8 .824

Season 4
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2022-231961-62
Team New York KnicksLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf SemisLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 73 33.9 19.6 0.8 4.2 5.0 2.8 0.4 0.2 2.2 2.5 7.0 16.1 .434 1.7 5.3 .310 4.0 5.4 .740
difference:+25+10.5+18.7+13.6+1.8-0.7+7.2+17.0+.006+5.9+7.7+.014
Elgin Baylor 48 44.4 38.3 - - 18.6 4.6 - - - 3.2 14.2 33.1 .428 - - - 9.9 13.1 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 11 34.3 19.3 0.5 4.0 4.5 2.8 0.8 0.2 2.3 2.3 6.5 14.9 .433 1.8 5.5 .328 4.5 5.9 .769
difference:+2+9.6+19.3+13.2+0.8-1.2+7.8+17.8+.005+5.5+7.0+.005
Elgin Baylor 13 43.9 38.6 - - 17.7 3.6 - - - 3.5 14.3 32.7 .438 - - - 10.0 12.9 .774

Season 5
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2023-241962-63
Team New York Knicks, Toronto RaptorsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett 58 31.7 20.2 0.9 4.5 5.4 3.3 0.5 0.4 2.2 2.2 7.5 15.2 .495 1.6 4.3 .360 3.6 5.0 .715
difference:+22+10.4+13.8+8.9+1.5-0.6+5.4+13.2+.042+4.7+4.9+.122
Elgin Baylor 80 42.1 34.0 - - 14.3 4.8 - - - 2.8 12.9 28.4 .453 - - - 8.3 9.9 .837
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Elgin Baylor 13 43.2 32.6 - - 13.6 4.5 - - - 3.7 12.3 27.8 .442 - - - 8.0 9.7 .825

Season 6
RJ Barrett Elgin Baylor
Season 2024-251963-64
Team Toronto RaptorsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost West Div 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%
RJ Barrett 58 32.2 21.1 1.1 5.3 6.3 5.4 0.8 0.3 2.8 2.4 7.9 16.9 .468 1.8 5.3 .350 3.4 5.4 .630
difference:+20+8.4+4.3+5.7+1.0-0.6+1.8+5.9+.043+2.6+2.1+.174
Elgin Baylor 78 40.6 25.4 - - 12.0 4.4 - - - 3.0 9.7 22.8 .425 - - - 6.0 7.5 .804
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
RJ Barrett DNP------ --- ----------
Elgin Baylor 5 44.2 24.2 - - 11.6 5.6 - - - 3.4 9.0 23.8 .378 - - - 6.2 8.0 .775

Additional Years

* Elgin Baylor played 8 seasons more than RJ Barrett in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 14, from 1965 to 1972—Elgin Baylor played in 6 Playoffs.

In those 8 extra years over RJ Barrett, Elgin Baylor got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 4 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 5 All-Star Game
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