Rudy Gobert vs. Kenny Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Kenny Smith and Rudy Gobert, 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.

Rudy Gobert played 12 years in the NBA, 2 more than Kenny Smith, who played 10. Rudy Gobert had the first of his seasons in 2013-14, 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.

Rookie Season
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2013-14	1987-88
Team	Utah Jazz	Sacramento Kings
Honors & Awards	-	All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

more >>

Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	45	9.6	2.3	1.1	2.3	3.4	0.2	0.2	0.9	0.7	1.3	0.8	1.6	.486	0.0	0.0	-	0.7	1.4	.492
difference:	+16	+26.0	+11.5	+0.4	+0.7	+1.1	+6.9	+1.3	+0.8	-2.3	-1.0	+4.6	+9.8	+.009	+0.2	+0.6		+2.0	+1.9	+.327
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
* Neiher Rudy Gobert nor Kenny Smith played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 4
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2016-17	1990-91
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Blocks Leader	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis	Rockets Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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		%
Rudy Gobert	81	33.9	14.0	3.9	8.9	12.8	1.2	0.6	2.6	1.8	3.0	5.1	7.7	.661	0.0	0.0	-	3.8	5.9	.653
difference:	+3	+0.7	+3.7	+3.4	+7.3	+10.7	+5.9	+0.8	+2.5	-1.2	-1.3	+1.6	+5.2	+.141	+0.6	+1.7		+0.1	+1.5	+.191
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	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	9	27.3	11.6	2.4	7.4	9.9	1.2	1.0	1.3	1.0	3.3	4.4	7.0	.635	0.0	0.0	-	2.7	5.6	.480
difference:	+6	+10.4	+3.7	+1.1	+6.1	+7.2	+6.8	+0.3	+1.0	-1.0	-1.6	+1.6	+5.7	+.161	+0.7	+1.3			+2.6	+.409
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
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2017-18	1991-92
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Defensive Player of the Year	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis	Did Not Play

more >>

5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	56	32.4	13.5	2.9	7.8	10.7	1.4	0.8	2.3	1.9	2.7	4.9	7.9	.622	0.0	0.0	-	3.6	5.3	.682
difference:	+25	+1.4	+0.5	+2.5	+6.0	+8.5	+5.5	+0.5	+2.2	-0.9	-1.3	+0.4	+3.3	+.147	+0.7	+1.7		+0.9	+2.2	+.184
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	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	11	34.8	13.2	3.9	6.8	10.7	1.0	0.9	2.3	1.9	3.1	5.0	7.6	.655	0.0	0.0	-	3.2	5.3	.603
Kenny Smith	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 6
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2018-19	1992-93
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Defensive Player of the Year	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis

more >>

6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	81	31.8	15.9	3.8	9.0	12.9	2.0	0.8	2.3	1.6	2.9	5.9	8.8	.669	0.0	0.0	-	4.1	6.4	.636
difference:	+1	+2.3	+2.9	+3.5	+7.4	+10.9	+3.4	+0.2	+2.2	-0.4	-1.6	+1.2	+0.3	+.149	+1.2	+2.7		+1.7	+3.7	+.242
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	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	5	30.4	11.2	4.6	5.6	10.2	1.4	0.6	2.6	1.8	3.2	3.8	6.4	.594	0.0	0.0	-	3.6	4.6	.783
difference:	+7	+2.2	+3.6	+4.4	+3.8	+8.2	+2.8	+0.2	+2.5	-0.4	-1.7	+1.5	+4.3	+.102	+1.9	+3.8		+1.3	+1.6	+.005
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

Season 7
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2019-20	1993-94
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd	NBA Champion

more >>

7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	68	34.3	15.1	3.4	10.1	13.5	1.5	0.8	2.0	1.9	3.2	5.7	8.2	.693	0.0	0.0	-	3.7	5.9	.630
difference:	+10	+6.0	+3.5	+3.1	+8.6	+11.7	+2.7		+1.9	-0.3	-1.6	+1.3	+0.9	+.213	+1.1	+2.8		+2.0	+3.9	+.241
Kenny Smith	78	28.3	11.6	0.3	1.5	1.8	4.2	0.8	0.1	1.6	1.6	4.4	9.1	.480	1.1	2.8	.405	1.7	2.0	.871
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	7	38.6	16.9	3.4	8.0	11.4	1.1	0.6	1.4	1.3	3.7	6.9	10.6	.649	0.0	0.0	-	3.1	6.0	.524
difference:	+16	+8.3	+6.1	+3.2	+5.9	+9.1	+3.0	+0.4	+1.2	-0.1	-2.0	+3.2	+2.4	+.194	+1.5	+3.3		+1.3	+3.7	+.284
Kenny Smith	23	30.3	10.8	0.2	2.1	2.3	4.1	1.0	0.2	1.4	1.7	3.7	8.2	.455	1.5	3.3	.447	1.8	2.3	.808

Season 8
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2020-21	1994-95
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Third Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Defensive Player of the Year	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis	NBA Champion

more >>

8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	71	30.8	14.3	3.4	10.1	13.5	1.3	0.6	2.7	1.7	2.3	5.5	8.2	.675	0.0	0.1	.000	3.3	5.3	.623
difference:	+10	+5.7	+3.9	+3.1	+8.5	+11.6	+2.7	+0.3	+2.6	-0.2	-1.0	+2.0	+0.9	+.191	+1.8	+4.0	+.429	+1.7	+3.5	+.228
Kenny Smith	81	25.1	10.4	0.3	1.6	1.9	4.0	0.9	0.1	1.5	1.3	3.5	7.3	.484	1.8	4.1	.429	1.6	1.8	.851
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	11	34.2	14.7	3.9	8.4	12.3	0.8	0.5	2.1	1.5	4.2	5.5	7.4	.741	0.0	0.1	.000	3.8	6.0	.636
difference:	+11	+4.6	+3.9	+3.6	+6.5	+10.1	+3.7	+0.1	+2.0	-0.1	-2.1	+2.0	+0.7	+.303	+2.1	+4.6	+.442	+2.2	+4.2	+.264
Kenny Smith	22	29.6	10.8	0.3	1.9	2.2	4.5	0.6	0.1	1.4	2.1	3.5	8.1	.438	2.1	4.7	.442	1.6	1.8	.900

Season 9
	Rudy Gobert	Kenny Smith
Season	2021-22	1995-96
Team	Utah Jazz	Houston Rockets
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
	Rebounds Leader	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Rockets Lost West Conf Semis

more >>

9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	66	32.1	15.6	3.7	11.0	14.7	1.1	0.7	2.1	1.8	2.7	5.5	7.7	.713	0.0	0.1	.000	4.6	6.7	.690
difference:	+2	+8.3	+7.1	+3.4	+9.9	+13.3	+2.5		+2.1	-0.3	-1.0	+2.5	+0.9	+.280	+1.3	+3.4	+.382	+3.3	+5.1	+.131
Kenny Smith	68	23.8	8.5	0.3	1.1	1.4	3.6	0.7	0.0	1.5	1.7	3.0	6.8	.433	1.3	3.5	.382	1.3	1.6	.821
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Rudy Gobert	6	32.8	12.0	3.5	9.7	13.2	0.5	0.2	1.0	1.3	3.2	3.5	5.5	.636	0.0	0.0	-	5.0	7.3	.682
difference:	+2	+8.9	+3.1	+3.0	+8.7	+11.7	+4.3	+0.4	+1.0	-0.3	-1.4	+0.6	+1.1	+.202	+1.5	+3.9		+3.4	+5.7	+.318
Kenny Smith	8	23.9	8.9	0.5	1.0	1.5	4.8	0.6	0.0	1.0	1.8	2.9	6.6	.434	1.5	3.9	.387	1.6	1.6	1.000

Additional Years
* Rudy Gobert played 2 seasons more than Kenny Smith in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 11 to 12, from 2024 to 2025—Rudy Gobert played in two Playoffs. In those 2 extra years over Kenny Smith, Rudy Gobert got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 All-Defensive First Team 1 All-Defensive Second Team 1 Defensive Player of the Year