Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Jaden McDaniels Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jaden McDaniels and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 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 / Stats Rankings / 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.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played 7 years in the NBA, 2 more than Jaden McDaniels, who played 5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the first of his seasons in 2018-19, while Jaden McDaniels had his rookie season in 2020-21. 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
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7 4 2018-19 to 2024-25
Jaden McDaniels 5 3 2020-21 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jaden McDaniels
Season 2018-192020-21
Team Los Angeles ClippersMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Clippers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid 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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 82 26.5 10.8 0.7 2.1 2.8 3.3 1.2 0.5 1.7 2.1 4.2 8.7 .476 0.6 1.7 .367 1.9 2.4 .800
difference:+19+2.5+4.0+0.1+0.8+0.9+2.2+0.6+0.5-1.0-0.6+1.6+2.9+.029+0.5+1.4+.003+1.5+1.7+.200
Jaden McDaniels 63 24.0 6.8 0.8 2.9 3.7 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.7 2.7 2.6 5.8 .447 1.1 3.1 .364 0.4 0.7 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 6 28.8 13.7 0.7 2.0 2.7 3.2 1.0 0.8 0.8 2.8 4.7 10.0 .467 1.5 3.0 .500 2.8 3.3 .850
Jaden McDaniels DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jaden McDaniels
Season 2019-202021-22
Team Oklahoma City ThunderMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdTimberwolves Lost West 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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 70 34.7 19.0 0.7 5.2 5.9 3.3 1.1 0.7 1.9 1.7 6.8 14.5 .471 1.2 3.6 .347 4.1 5.1 .807
difference:+8.9+9.8+0.4+2.1+1.7+2.2+0.4+0.1-0.8-1.5+3.2+6.6+.011+0.1+.030+3.3+4.1+.004
Jaden McDaniels 70 25.8 9.2 1.1 3.1 4.2 1.1 0.7 0.8 1.1 3.2 3.6 7.9 .460 1.1 3.6 .317 0.8 1.0 .803
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7 39.9 16.3 0.4 4.9 5.3 4.1 1.0 0.4 2.1 2.4 5.6 12.9 .433 2.0 5.0 .400 3.1 3.3 .957
difference:+1+18.2+7.0+0.4+2.9+2.5+3.4+0.7+1.4-1.1-0.6+2.6+7.2+.096+0.3+1.7+.100+1.4+1.3+.124
Jaden McDaniels 6 21.7 9.3 0.8 2.0 2.8 0.7 0.3 1.8 1.0 3.0 3.0 5.7 .529 1.7 3.3 .500 1.7 2.0 .833

Season 3
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jaden McDaniels
Season 2020-212022-23
Team Oklahoma City ThunderMinnesota Timberwolves
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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35 33.7 23.7 0.5 4.2 4.7 5.9 0.8 0.7 3.0 2.0 8.2 16.1 .508 2.0 4.9 .418 5.3 6.5 .808
difference:+44+3.1+11.6+0.7+1.5+0.8+4.0+0.1+0.3-1.6-1.4+3.5+7.0+.009+0.6+1.5+.020+4.0+4.7+.072
Jaden McDaniels 79 30.6 12.1 1.2 2.7 3.9 1.9 0.9 1.0 1.4 3.4 4.7 9.1 .517 1.4 3.4 .398 1.3 1.8 .736
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nor Jaden McDaniels played in the postseason in their season 3

Season 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jaden McDaniels
Season 2021-222023-24
Team Oklahoma City ThunderMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf 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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 56 34.7 24.5 0.7 4.3 5.0 5.9 1.3 0.8 2.8 2.5 8.5 18.8 .453 1.6 5.3 .300 5.9 7.2 .810
difference:+16+5.5+14.0+0.1+2.0+1.9+4.5+0.4+0.2-1.6-0.5+4.2+10.1+.036+0.4+1.8+.037+5.1+6.1+.088
Jaden McDaniels 72 29.2 10.5 0.8 2.3 3.1 1.4 0.9 0.6 1.2 3.0 4.3 8.7 .489 1.2 3.5 .337 0.8 1.1 .722
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DNP------ --- ----------
Jaden McDaniels 16 33.6 12.2 1.8 2.1 3.8 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.1 3.4 4.5 8.8 .514 1.5 3.5 .429 1.7 2.2 .771

Season 5
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jaden McDaniels
Season 2022-232024-25
Team Oklahoma City ThunderMinnesota Timberwolves
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTimberwolves Lost West Conf 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%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 68 35.5 31.4 0.9 4.0 4.8 5.5 1.6 1.0 2.8 2.8 10.4 20.3 .510 0.9 2.5 .345 9.8 10.9 .905
difference:+14+3.6+19.2+0.7+0.2+0.9+3.5+0.3+0.1-1.6-0.1+5.5+10.1+.033+0.3+1.2+.015+8.5+9.3+.092
Jaden McDaniels 82 31.9 12.2 1.6 4.2 5.7 2.0 1.3 0.9 1.2 2.7 4.9 10.2 .477 1.2 3.7 .330 1.3 1.6 .813
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DNP------ --- ----------
Jaden McDaniels 15 33.1 14.7 1.8 3.8 5.6 1.5 1.3 0.9 1.2 3.3 5.8 11.3 .515 1.4 3.7 .382 1.7 1.9 .893

Additional Years

* Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played 2 seasons more than Jaden McDaniels in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 7, from 2024 to 2025—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played in two Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 2 extra years over Jaden McDaniels, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Finals MVP
Achievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 2 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 Scoring Leader
Achievement 1 Steals Leader
Achievement 1 Cup All-Tournament Team
Achievement 2 All-Star Game
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