Willie Naulls vs. Arvydas Sabonis Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Arvydas Sabonis and Willie Naulls, 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

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.

Willie Naulls played 10 years in the NBA, 3 more than Arvydas Sabonis, who played 7. Willie Naulls had the first of his seasons in 1956-57, 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 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
Willie Naulls 10 4 1956-57 to 1965-66
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1956-571995-96
Team St. Louis Hawks, New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 71 25.0 10.1 - - 8.7 1.2 - - - 2.6 4.1 11.5 .357 - - - 1.9 2.7 .677
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1957-581996-97
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 68 34.8 18.1 - - 11.8 1.4 - - - 3.2 6.9 17.5 .397 - - - 4.2 5.1 .826
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1958-591997-98
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 68 30.3 15.7 - - 10.6 1.5 - - - 3.4 6.0 15.8 .378 - - - 3.8 4.6 .830
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 %
Willie Naulls 2 31.5 17.0 - - 10.5 1.5 - - - 5.5 7.0 21.0 .333 - - - 3.0 4.0 .750
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1959-601998-99
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 65 34.6 21.4 - - 14.2 2.1 - - - 3.3 8.5 19.8 .428 - - - 4.4 5.3 .836
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1960-611999-00
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 79 37.7 23.4 - - 13.4 2.4 - - - 3.4 9.3 21.8 .428 - - - 4.7 5.8 .816
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1961-622000-01
Team New York KnicksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 75 39.7 25.0 - - 11.6 2.6 - - - 3.5 10.0 24.0 .415 - - - 5.1 6.1 .842
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1962-632002-03
Team New York Knicks, San Francisco WarriorsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 70 27.2 12.9 - - 7.4 1.5 - - - 2.9 5.3 12.7 .417 - - - 2.4 3.0 .802
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 %
Willie Naulls ------- --- ----------
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

Season 8
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1963-64-
Team Boston Celtics-
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 %
Willie Naulls 78 18.1 9.8 - - 4.6 0.8 - - - 2.7 4.1 9.9 .417 - - - 1.6 2.0 .796
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 10 16.7 9.1 - - 4.6 0.8 - - - 3.1 3.7 9.5 .389 - - - 1.7 2.3 .739
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1964-65-
Team Boston Celtics-
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 %
Willie Naulls 71 20.6 10.5 - - 4.7 1.0 - - - 3.2 4.3 11.1 .384 - - - 2.0 2.5 .813
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 12 15.0 7.3 - - 4.3 0.8 - - - 2.3 3.3 7.9 .411 - - - 0.8 1.3 .667
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Willie Naulls Arvydas Sabonis
Season 1965-66-
Team Boston Celtics-
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 %
Willie Naulls 71 20.2 10.7 - - 4.5 1.0 - - - 2.8 4.6 11.5 .402 - - - 1.5 1.8 .794
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Willie Naulls 11 6.8 3.2 - - 1.5 0.1 - - - 2.1 0.8 3.2 .257 - - - 1.5 1.9 .810
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
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