Walt Frazier vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Walt Frazier, 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.

Walt Frazier played 13 years in the NBA, 6 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Walt Frazier had the first of his seasons in 1967-68, while Arvydas Sabonis had his rookie season in 1995-96. 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
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1967-68	1995-96
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie First Team	All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs	Knicks Lost East Div Semis	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	74	21.5	9.0	-	-	4.2	4.1	-	-	-	2.7	3.5	7.7	.451	-	-	-	2.1	3.2	.655
difference:	+1	+2.3	+5.5			+3.9	+2.3				-0.2	+1.9	+2.2	+.094				+1.1	+1.0	+.102
Arvydas Sabonis	73	23.8	14.5	2.0	6.0	8.1	1.8	0.9	1.1	2.1	2.9	5.4	9.9	.545	0.5	1.4	.375	3.2	4.2	.757
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	4	29.8	9.5	-	-	5.5	6.3	-	-	-	3.0	3.0	8.3	.364	-	-	-	3.5	4.5	.778
difference:	+1	+5.6	+14.1			+4.7	+4.5				-0.4	+4.0	+7.9	+.068				+5.1	+7.5	+.061
Arvydas Sabonis	5	35.4	23.6	2.4	7.8	10.2	1.8	0.8	0.6	2.0	3.4	7.0	16.2	.432	1.0	1.8	.556	8.6	12.0	.717

Season 2
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1968-69	1996-97
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-Defensive First Team	-
Playoffs	Knicks Lost East Div Finals	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	80	36.9	17.5	-	-	6.2	7.9	-	-	-	3.1	6.6	13.2	.505	-	-	-	4.3	5.7	.746
difference:	+11	+11.4	+4.1			+1.7	+5.8				-0.2	+1.8	+3.7	+.007				+1.1	+1.5	+.031
Arvydas Sabonis	69	25.5	13.4	1.7	6.3	7.9	2.1	0.9	1.2	2.2	2.9	4.8	9.5	.498	0.7	1.9	.371	3.2	4.2	.777
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	10	41.5	21.2	-	-	7.4	9.1	-	-	-	3.0	8.9	17.7	.503	-	-	-	3.4	5.7	.596
difference:	+6	+14.7	+9.9			+0.9	+6.8				-1.8	+4.4	+7.2	+.074				+1.6	+3.7	+.279
Arvydas Sabonis	4	26.8	11.3	2.0	4.5	6.5	2.3	0.8	0.8	2.3	4.8	4.5	10.5	.429	0.5	2.0	.250	1.8	2.0	.875

Season 3
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1969-70	1997-98
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	77	39.5	20.9	-	-	6.0	8.2	-	-	-	2.6	7.8	15.0	.518	-	-	-	5.3	7.1	.748
difference:	+4	+7.5	+4.9			+4.0	+5.2				-1.1	+2.2	+3.7	+.025				+0.9	+1.6	+.050
Arvydas Sabonis	73	32.0	16.0	2.0	7.9	10.0	3.0	0.9	1.1	2.6	3.7	5.6	11.3	.493	0.4	1.6	.261	4.4	5.5	.798
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	19	43.9	16.0	-	-	7.8	8.2	-	-	-	2.8	6.2	13.0	.478	-	-	-	3.6	4.7	.764
difference:	+15	+17.1	+3.7				+6.7				-2.0	+1.7	+3.0	+.028				+0.6	+1.2	+.093
Arvydas Sabonis	4	26.8	12.3	1.8	6.0	7.8	1.5	1.8	0.8	2.5	4.8	4.5	10.0	.450	0.3	0.5	.500	3.0	3.5	.857

Season 4
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1970-71	1998-99
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Knicks Lost East Conf Finals	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	80	43.2	21.7	-	-	6.8	6.7	-	-	-	3.0	8.1	16.5	.494	-	-	-	5.4	7.0	.779
difference:	+30	+16.2	+9.6			+1.1	+4.3				-0.1	+3.5	+6.9	+.009				+2.7	+3.5	+.008
Arvydas Sabonis	50	27.0	12.1	1.8	6.1	7.9	2.4	0.7	1.3	1.7	2.9	4.6	9.6	.485	0.1	0.5	.292	2.7	3.5	.771
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	12	41.8	22.6	-	-	5.8	4.5	-	-	-	3.8	9.0	17.0	.529	-	-	-	4.6	6.3	.733
difference:	+1	+11.7	+12.6			+3.0	+2.3				-1.1	+5.5	+8.3	+.131				+1.6	+3.0	+.174
Arvydas Sabonis	13	30.1	10.0	0.9	7.8	8.8	2.2	1.2	1.2	1.5	2.7	3.5	8.7	.398	0.1	0.4	.200	3.0	3.3	.907

Season 5
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1971-72	1999-00
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Knicks Lost NBA Finals	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	77	40.6	23.2	-	-	6.7	5.8	-	-	-	2.4	8.7	17.0	.512	-	-	-	5.8	7.2	.808
difference:	+11	+15.0	+11.4			+1.1	+4.0				-0.4	+4.1	+7.9	+.007				+3.3	+4.2	+.035
Arvydas Sabonis	66	25.6	11.8	1.5	6.3	7.8	1.8	0.7	1.2	1.5	2.8	4.6	9.1	.505	0.1	0.3	.368	2.5	3.0	.843
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	16	44.0	24.3	-	-	7.0	6.1	-	-	-	3.0	9.3	17.3	.536	-	-	-	5.8	7.8	.736
difference:		+13.2	+13.0			+0.3	+4.2				-0.7	+5.0	+7.9	+.083				+3.4	+4.7	+.060
Arvydas Sabonis	16	30.8	11.3	1.2	5.5	6.7	1.9	0.9	0.8	1.6	3.7	4.3	9.4	.453	0.4	1.3	.286	2.4	3.1	.796

Season 6
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1972-73	2000-01
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	78	40.8	21.1	-	-	7.3	5.9	-	-	-	2.4	8.7	17.8	.490	-	-	-	3.7	4.5	.817
difference:	+17	+19.5	+11.0			+1.9	+4.4				-0.2	+4.7	+9.3	+.011				+1.7	+1.9	+.041
Arvydas Sabonis	61	21.3	10.1	0.8	4.6	5.4	1.5	0.7	1.0	1.4	2.2	4.0	8.5	.479	0.0	0.2	.067	2.0	2.6	.776
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	17	45.0	21.9	-	-	7.3	6.2	-	-	-	3.1	8.8	17.2	.514	-	-	-	4.3	5.5	.777
difference:	+14	+10.0	+10.6			+1.0	+3.5				-0.9	+4.1	+7.5	+.031				+2.3	+2.8	+.027
Arvydas Sabonis	3	35.0	11.3	2.7	5.7	8.3	2.7	0.3	2.3	0.7	4.0	4.7	9.7	.483	0.0	0.7	.000	2.0	2.7	.750

Note: Arvydas Sabonis didn't play in 2001-02.

Season 7
	Walt Frazier	Arvydas Sabonis
Season	1973-74	2002-03
Team	New York Knicks	Portland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Defensive First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Knicks Lost East Conf Finals	Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	80	41.7	20.5	1.5	5.2	6.7	6.9	2.0	0.2	-	2.7	8.4	17.9	.472	-	-	-	3.7	4.4	.838
difference:	+2	+26.2	+14.4	+0.4	+2.0	+2.4	+5.1	+1.2	+0.4		-0.9	+6.2	+13.3	+.004				+2.0	+2.3	+.051
Arvydas Sabonis	78	15.5	6.1	1.1	3.2	4.3	1.8	0.8	0.6	1.0	1.8	2.2	4.6	.476	0.0	0.1	.500	1.7	2.1	.787
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Walt Frazier	12	40.9	22.5	1.8	6.2	7.9	4.0	1.8	0.3	-	3.4	9.4	18.8	.502	-	-	-	3.7	4.1	.898
difference:	+6	+26.4	+12.5	+0.8	+3.2	+3.9	+3.2	+1.1	+0.4		-1.1	+5.4	+12.8	+.165				+1.7	+1.6	+.098
Arvydas Sabonis	6	14.5	10.0	1.0	3.0	4.0	0.8	0.7	0.7	1.0	2.3	4.0	6.0	.667	0.0	0.0	-	2.0	2.5	.800

Additional Years
* Walt Frazier played 6 seasons more than Arvydas Sabonis in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 8 to 13, from 1975 to 1980—Walt Frazier played in one postseason. In those 6 extra years over Arvydas Sabonis, Walt Frazier got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 All-NBA First Team 1 All-Defensive First Team 2 All-Star Game 1 All-Star Game MVP