Steven Adams vs. LaMelo Ball Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of LaMelo Ball and Steven Adams, 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 / Scoring / Stats / 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.

Steven Adams played 11 years in the NBA, 6 more than LaMelo Ball, who played 5. Steven Adams had the first of his seasons in 2013-14, while LaMelo Ball 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
Steven Adams 11 8 2013-14 to 2024-25
LaMelo Ball 5 0 2020-21 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5

Rookie Season

Steven Adams LaMelo Ball
Season 2013-142020-21
Team Oklahoma City ThunderCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf FinalsDid 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%
Steven Adams 81 14.8 3.3 1.8 2.3 4.1 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.9 2.5 1.1 2.3 .503 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.7 .581
difference:+30+14.0+12.4+0.6+2.4+1.8+5.6+1.1+0.3-1.9-0.2+4.6+10.9+.067+1.8+5.1+1.5+1.5+.177
LaMelo Ball 51 28.8 15.7 1.2 4.7 5.9 6.1 1.6 0.4 2.8 2.7 5.7 13.2 .436 1.8 5.1 .352 2.5 3.2 .758
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 18 18.4 3.9 1.2 2.9 4.1 0.2 0.1 1.3 0.6 2.7 1.7 2.5 .689 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 1.3 .348
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2

Steven Adams LaMelo Ball
Season 2014-152021-22
Team Oklahoma City ThunderCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 70 25.3 7.7 2.8 4.6 7.5 0.9 0.5 1.2 1.4 3.2 3.1 5.7 .544 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 2.9 .502
difference:+5+7.0+12.4+1.4+0.6+0.8+6.7+1.1+0.8-1.9+4.1+11.0+.115+2.9+7.5+1.3+0.3+.370
LaMelo Ball 75 32.3 20.1 1.4 5.2 6.7 7.6 1.6 0.4 3.3 3.2 7.2 16.7 .429 2.9 7.5 .389 2.8 3.2 .872
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Steven Adams nor LaMelo Ball played in the postseason in their season 2

Season 3

Steven Adams LaMelo Ball
Season 2015-162022-23
Team Oklahoma City ThunderCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf FinalsDid 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%
Steven Adams 80 25.2 8.0 2.7 3.9 6.7 0.8 0.5 1.1 1.1 2.8 3.3 5.3 .613 0.0 0.0 - 1.4 2.5 .582
difference:+44+10.0+15.3+1.5+1.4+0.3+7.6+0.8+0.8-2.5-0.5+4.9+14.7+.202+4.0+10.6+1.4+0.9+.254
LaMelo Ball 36 35.2 23.3 1.2 5.3 6.4 8.4 1.3 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.2 20.0 .411 4.0 10.6 .376 2.8 3.4 .836
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 18 30.7 10.1 3.4 6.1 9.5 0.7 0.5 0.8 0.9 3.1 3.8 6.2 .613 0.0 0.1 .000 2.6 4.1 .630
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4

Steven Adams LaMelo Ball
Season 2016-172023-24
Team Oklahoma City ThunderCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 80 29.9 11.3 3.5 4.2 7.7 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.8 2.4 4.7 8.2 .571 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 3.2 .611
difference:+58+2.4+12.6+2.2+0.4+2.6+6.9+0.7+0.8-2.0-1.2+3.6+11.0+.138+3.2+9.0+2.1+1.5+.254
LaMelo Ball 22 32.3 23.9 1.3 3.8 5.1 8.0 1.8 0.2 3.8 3.6 8.3 19.2 .433 3.2 9.0 .355 4.1 4.7 .865
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 5 31.4 8.0 3.4 3.4 6.8 1.4 1.2 1.8 0.8 2.8 3.6 5.6 .643 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 2.2 .364
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------

Season 5

Steven Adams LaMelo Ball
Season 2017-182024-25
Team Oklahoma City ThunderCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 76 32.7 13.9 5.1 4.0 9.0 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.7 2.8 5.9 9.4 .629 0.0 0.0 - 2.1 3.8 .559
difference:+29+0.7+11.3+4.1+0.1+4.1+6.2+0.1+0.7-1.9-0.5+2.7+11.9+.224+3.8+11.2+2.0+1.1+.284
LaMelo Ball 47 32.0 25.2 1.0 3.9 4.9 7.4 1.1 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.6 21.3 .405 3.8 11.2 .339 4.1 4.9 .843
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Steven Adams 6 33.3 10.5 3.2 4.3 7.5 1.5 0.7 0.7 0.7 2.5 4.5 7.7 .587 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 2.2 .692
LaMelo Ball DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* Steven Adams played 6 seasons more than LaMelo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 6 to 11, from 2019 to 2025—Steven Adams played in 4 Playoffs.