Spencer Haywood vs. Jeff Ruland Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Jeff Ruland and Spencer Haywood, 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.

Spencer Haywood played 12 years in the NBA, 4 more than Jeff Ruland, who played 8. Spencer Haywood had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Jeff Ruland had his rookie season in 1981-82. 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
Spencer Haywood 12 4 1970-71 to 1982-83
Jeff Ruland 8 4 1981-82 to 1992-93

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12

Rookie Season

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1970-711981-82
Team Seattle SupersonicsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayBullets Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 33 35.2 20.6 - - 12.0 1.5 - - - 2.5 7.9 17.5 .449 - - - 4.8 6.6 .734
Jeff Ruland 82 27.0 14.4 3.1 6.2 9.3 1.6 0.5 0.7 2.9 3.9 5.1 9.1 .561 0.0 0.0 .333 4.2 5.5 .752
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland 7 33.9 17.0 4.1 5.3 9.4 0.7 0.4 0.6 3.3 3.4 5.4 11.3 .481 0.0 0.1 .000 6.1 8.0 .768

Season 2

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1971-721982-83
Team Seattle SupersonicsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
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 %
Spencer Haywood 73 43.4 26.2 - - 12.7 2.0 - - - 2.8 9.8 21.3 .461 - - - 6.6 8.0 .819
Jeff Ruland 79 36.2 19.4 3.7 7.3 11.0 3.0 0.9 1.0 3.8 3.9 7.3 13.3 .552 0.0 0.0 .333 4.7 6.9 .689
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1972-731983-84
Team Seattle SupersonicsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayBullets 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 %
Spencer Haywood 77 42.3 29.2 - - 12.9 2.5 - - - 2.8 11.5 24.3 .476 - - - 6.1 7.3 .839
Jeff Ruland 75 41.1 22.2 3.5 8.8 12.3 3.9 0.9 1.0 4.6 3.8 8.0 13.8 .579 0.0 0.1 .143 6.2 8.5 .733
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland 4 46.8 24.0 4.0 8.8 12.8 7.8 0.5 0.8 4.8 3.8 9.3 17.8 .521 0.0 0.3 .000 5.5 6.8 .815

Season 4

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1973-741984-85
Team Seattle SupersonicsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayBullets 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 %
Spencer Haywood 75 40.5 23.5 4.2 9.2 13.4 3.2 0.9 1.4 - 2.6 9.3 20.3 .457 - - - 5.0 6.1 .814
Jeff Ruland 37 38.8 18.9 3.4 7.6 11.1 4.4 0.8 0.7 4.8 3.5 6.8 11.9 .569 0.0 0.1 .000 5.4 7.9 .685
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland 4 40.5 17.5 3.0 5.5 8.5 5.3 2.3 1.0 5.8 3.8 7.0 11.8 .596 0.0 0.5 .000 3.5 5.0 .700

Season 5

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1974-751985-86
Team Seattle SupersonicsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Supersonics Lost West Conf SemisBullets 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 %
Spencer Haywood 68 37.2 22.4 2.9 6.4 9.3 2.0 0.8 1.6 - 2.5 8.9 19.5 .459 - - - 4.5 5.6 .811
Jeff Ruland 30 37.1 19.0 3.6 7.1 10.7 5.3 0.8 0.8 4.0 3.3 7.1 12.8 .554 0.0 0.1 .000 4.8 6.7 .725
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 9 37.4 15.7 2.2 6.8 9.0 2.0 0.8 1.2 - 3.2 5.2 14.6 .359 - - - 5.2 6.8 .770
Jeff Ruland 2 27.0 14.0 2.5 3.5 6.0 5.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 3.0 3.5 7.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 7.0 8.5 .824

Season 6

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1975-761986-87
Team New York KnicksPhiladelphia 76ers
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 %
Spencer Haywood 78 37.1 19.9 3.0 8.3 11.3 1.2 0.7 1.0 - 3.3 7.8 17.4 .445 - - - 4.3 5.7 .757
Jeff Ruland 5 23.2 9.4 2.4 3.2 5.6 2.0 0.0 0.8 2.0 2.6 3.8 5.6 .679 0.0 0.0 - 1.8 2.4 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Note: Jeff Ruland didn't play in 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1990-91.

Season 7

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1976-771991-92
Team New York KnicksPhiladelphia 76ers
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 %
Spencer Haywood 31 32.9 16.5 2.5 6.5 9.0 1.6 0.5 0.9 - 2.3 6.5 14.5 .450 - - - 3.5 4.2 .832
Jeff Ruland 13 16.1 3.9 1.2 2.4 3.6 0.4 0.5 0.3 1.5 3.5 1.5 2.9 .526 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 1.2 .688
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1977-781992-93
Team New York KnicksDetroit Pistons
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East 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 %
Spencer Haywood 67 26.3 13.7 2.1 4.5 6.6 1.9 0.6 1.1 2.1 2.8 6.1 12.7 .484 - - - 1.4 2.0 .711
Jeff Ruland 11 5.0 1.1 0.8 0.8 1.6 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.5 1.5 0.5 1.0 .455 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 0.4 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 6 29.5 16.2 3.2 3.8 7.0 2.0 0.3 0.8 1.7 4.0 7.2 14.2 .506 - - - 1.8 1.8 1.000
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1978-79-
Team New York Knicks, New Orleans Jazz-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 68 34.7 20.9 2.5 5.3 7.8 1.9 0.6 1.2 2.9 3.5 8.8 17.7 .494 - - - 3.4 4.3 .791
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Season 10

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1979-80-
Team Los Angeles Lakers-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 76 20.3 9.7 1.7 2.8 4.6 1.2 0.5 0.8 1.8 2.6 3.8 7.8 .487 0.0 0.1 .250 2.1 2.7 .772
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 11 13.2 5.7 1.3 1.1 2.4 0.4 0.0 0.5 1.8 1.5 2.3 4.8 .472 0.0 0.1 .000 1.2 1.5 .813
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Note: Spencer Haywood didn't play in 1980-81.

Season 11

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1981-82-
Team Washington Bullets-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Bullets Lost East Conf Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 76 27.4 13.3 1.9 3.7 5.6 0.8 0.6 0.9 2.3 3.3 5.2 10.9 .476 0.0 0.0 .000 2.9 3.4 .842
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 7 33.0 20.0 2.3 3.3 5.6 1.0 0.6 2.0 2.1 4.0 8.1 16.4 .496 0.0 0.0 - 3.7 5.0 .743
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------

Season 12

Spencer Haywood Jeff Ruland
Season 1982-83-
Team Washington Bullets-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood 38 20.4 8.2 2.0 2.8 4.8 0.8 0.3 0.7 1.8 2.5 3.3 8.2 .401 0.0 0.0 .000 1.7 2.3 .724
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------
Jeff Ruland ------- --- ----------