Steve Francis vs. Joakim Noah Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Joakim Noah and Steve Francis, 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.

Steve Francis played 9 years in the NBA, 4 less than Joakim Noah, who played 13. Steve Francis had the first of his seasons in 1999-00, while Joakim Noah had his rookie season in 2007-08. 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
Steve Francis 9 1 1999-00 to 2007-08
Joakim Noah 13 8 2007-08 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 1999-002007-08
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid 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%
Steve Francis 77 36.1 18.0 2.0 3.3 5.3 6.6 1.5 0.4 4.0 3.0 6.5 14.5 .445 1.4 4.0 .345 3.7 4.7 .786
difference:+3+15.4+11.4+0.4+0.3+5.5+0.6+0.5-2.8-0.7+4.1+9.5+.037+1.4+4.0+1.9+2.1+.095
Joakim Noah 74 20.7 6.6 2.4 3.3 5.6 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.2 2.3 2.4 5.0 .482 0.0 0.0 - 1.8 2.6 .691
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steve Francis nor Joakim Noah played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2000-012008-09
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East 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%
Steve Francis 80 39.9 19.9 2.4 4.5 6.9 6.5 1.8 0.4 3.3 3.4 6.9 15.2 .451 1.7 4.2 .396 4.5 5.5 .817
difference:+15.7+13.2+0.7+0.7+5.2+1.2+1.0-2.3-0.4+4.3+10.5+.105+1.7+4.2+3.0+3.2+.141
Joakim Noah 80 24.2 6.7 3.1 4.5 7.6 1.3 0.6 1.4 1.0 3.0 2.6 4.7 .556 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 2.3 .676
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 7 38.7 10.1 4.0 9.1 13.1 2.3 0.9 2.1 1.1 4.4 3.7 7.3 .510 0.0 0.0 - 2.7 3.6 .760

Season 3

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2001-022009-10
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 57 41.1 21.6 1.8 5.2 7.0 6.4 1.2 0.4 3.9 3.0 7.4 17.7 .417 1.2 3.7 .324 5.7 7.4 .773
difference:+7+11.0+10.9+1.6+2.4+4.0+4.3+0.7+1.2-2.1-0.1+3.3+9.6+.087+1.2+3.7+3.2+4.0+.029
Joakim Noah 64 30.1 10.7 3.4 7.6 11.0 2.1 0.5 1.6 1.8 3.1 4.1 8.1 .504 0.0 0.0 - 2.5 3.4 .744
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 5 37.6 14.8 4.0 9.0 13.0 2.6 1.8 1.4 3.0 4.0 5.6 10.6 .528 0.0 0.0 - 3.6 3.8 .947

Season 4

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2002-032010-11
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East 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%
Steve Francis 81 41.0 21.0 2.0 4.2 6.2 6.2 1.7 0.5 3.7 3.1 7.0 16.2 .435 1.0 3.0 .354 5.9 7.3 .800
difference:+33+8.2+9.3+1.8+2.4+4.2+4.0+0.7+1.0-1.8-0.2+2.6+7.8+.090+1.0+3.0+3.0+3.4+.061
Joakim Noah 48 32.8 11.7 3.8 6.6 10.4 2.2 1.0 1.5 1.9 3.3 4.4 8.4 .525 0.0 0.0 - 2.9 3.9 .739
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 16 33.1 8.7 4.3 5.9 10.2 2.5 1.0 2.1 1.2 3.9 3.2 7.8 .411 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 3.2 .725

Season 5

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2003-042011-12
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdBulls Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 79 40.4 16.6 1.5 4.0 5.5 6.2 1.8 0.4 3.7 3.3 5.7 14.1 .403 0.9 3.2 .292 4.3 5.5 .775
difference:+15+10.0+6.4+2.3+2.0+4.3+3.7+1.2+1.0-2.3-0.8+1.8+6.4+.105+0.9+3.2+1.9+2.3+.027
Joakim Noah 64 30.4 10.2 3.8 6.0 9.8 2.5 0.6 1.4 1.4 2.5 3.9 7.7 .508 0.0 0.0 - 2.4 3.2 .748
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 5 44.6 19.2 1.2 7.2 8.4 7.6 1.4 0.2 4.2 3.6 6.0 14.0 .429 1.4 3.4 .412 5.8 8.0 .725
difference:+2+11.6+4.2+1.8+0.9+0.9+4.6+0.7+1.1-3.9-1.9+0.3+5.3+.302+1.4+3.4+3.5+4.3+.089
Joakim Noah 3 33.0 15.0 3.0 6.3 9.3 3.0 0.7 1.3 0.3 1.7 6.3 8.7 .731 0.0 0.0 - 2.3 3.7 .636

Season 6

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2004-052012-13
Team Orlando MagicChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East Conf 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%
Steve Francis 78 38.2 21.3 1.6 4.2 5.8 7.0 1.4 0.4 4.1 3.5 7.2 17.1 .423 0.5 1.6 .299 6.4 7.8 .823
difference:+12+1.4+9.4+2.3+3.0+5.3+3.0+0.2+1.7-1.4-0.7+2.6+7.6+.058+0.5+1.5+.299+3.7+4.2+.072
Joakim Noah 66 36.8 11.9 3.9 7.2 11.1 4.0 1.2 2.1 2.7 2.8 4.6 9.5 .481 0.0 0.1 .000 2.7 3.6 .751
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 12 34.1 10.8 4.3 5.3 9.6 2.3 0.8 2.2 2.0 3.6 4.3 9.9 .437 0.0 0.0 - 2.1 3.3 .641

Season 7

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2005-062013-14
Team Orlando Magic, New York KnicksChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement Defensive Player of the Year
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 70 34.2 14.4 1.1 3.1 4.1 4.9 1.1 0.2 3.1 2.9 4.8 10.9 .435 0.4 1.2 .301 4.5 5.7 .787
difference:+10+1.1+1.8+2.4+4.6+7.2+0.5+0.1+1.3-0.7-0.2+0.9+.040+0.4+1.2+1.4+1.5+.050
Joakim Noah 80 35.3 12.6 3.5 7.7 11.3 5.4 1.2 1.5 2.4 3.1 4.8 10.0 .475 0.0 0.0 - 3.1 4.2 .737
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 5 42.0 10.4 3.0 9.8 12.8 4.6 1.0 1.4 3.8 3.8 4.2 8.2 .512 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 3.4 .588

Season 8

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2006-072014-15
Team New York KnicksChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayBulls Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 44 28.1 11.3 0.8 2.8 3.6 3.9 0.9 0.3 2.3 2.9 3.2 7.8 .408 1.0 2.5 .378 4.0 4.8 .829
difference:+23+2.5+4.1+2.5+3.6+6.0+0.8+0.2+0.8-0.5-0.1+0.4+1.4+.037+1.0+2.5+2.4+2.2+.226
Joakim Noah 67 30.6 7.2 3.3 6.4 9.6 4.7 0.7 1.1 1.8 3.0 2.8 6.4 .445 0.0 0.0 - 1.6 2.6 .603
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis DNP------ --- ----------
Joakim Noah 12 32.9 5.8 3.8 7.3 11.0 3.2 0.8 1.2 1.7 3.1 2.6 6.3 .408 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 1.7 .350

Season 9

Steve Francis Joakim Noah
Season 2007-082015-16
Team Houston RocketsChicago Bulls
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steve Francis 10 19.9 5.5 0.8 1.5 2.3 3.0 0.9 0.5 1.4 2.5 1.9 5.7 .333 0.4 1.7 .235 1.3 2.3 .565
difference:+19+2.0+1.2+2.2+4.3+6.5+0.8+0.3+0.5-0.4-0.2+0.1+1.1+.050+0.4+1.7+0.5+0.7+.076
Joakim Noah 29 21.9 4.3 3.0 5.8 8.8 3.8 0.6 1.0 1.8 2.7 1.8 4.6 .383 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 1.6 .489
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steve Francis nor Joakim Noah played in the postseason in their season 9

Additional Years

* Joakim Noah played 4 seasons more than Steve Francis in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 10 to 13, from 2017 to 2020—Joakim Noah played in one postseason.