Lonzo Ball vs. J.R. Smith: Career Scoring Comparison
We break down the scoring legacies of J.R. Smith and Lonzo Ball to determine who has the better numbers. Here you can compare their career totals, points per game, games of 40+ points, 50+, etc. and their year-by-year scoring averages side by side, both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other
By taking a look at their career numbers for points, the first conclusion one can arrive at is that J.R. Smith has better scoring average and totals in the regular season, and since Lonzo Ball didn't play in the postseason, you could also say that J.R. Smith has better playoff stats. However, we won't stop there and we'll go into detail to analyze what these statistics are made up of, from how many games they had in each threshold (30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc.) to their season-by-season scoring averages.
On this page we compare: |
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Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers |
Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?
Points in the Regular Season
In his 16 NBA regular seasons played, J.R. Smith averages 1 point more than Lonzo Ball in his 6 seasons (12.4 points against 11.4), and he also scored a total of 8,886 points more (12,148 vs. 3,262).
Points Per Game | Seasons | ||
| Lonzo Ball | 11.4 | 6 | |
| J.R. Smith | 12.4 | +1.0 | 16 |
Total Points | Seasons | ||
| Lonzo Ball | 3,262 | 6 | |
| J.R. Smith | 12,148 | +8,886 | 16 |
Points in the Playoffs
Lonzo Ball didn't play in the NBA postseason, so obviously J.R. Smith has better playoff stats in points per game and total points scored.
Points Per Game | Playoffs | ||
| Lonzo Ball | 0 | 0 | |
| J.R. Smith | 10.7 | +10.7 | 12 |
Total Points | Playoffs | ||
| Lonzo Ball | 0 | 0 | |
| J.R. Smith | 1,493 | +1,493 | 12 |
Points by Thresholds
Regular Season
40+ Point Games | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 0 | |||
| J.R. Smith | 4 | +4 | ||
20+ Point Games | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 27 | |||
| J.R. Smith | 160 | +133 | ||
10+ Point Games | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 161 | |||
| J.R. Smith | 604 | +443 | ||
1+ Point Games (games with points) | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 283 | |||
| J.R. Smith | 932 | +649 | ||
0 Point Games (games without points) | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 4 | |||
| J.R. Smith | 45 | +41 | ||
Playoffs
Lonzo Ball didn't play in the NBA postseason, so J.R. Smith's point thresholds are omited here.
Career Shooting Stats Comparison
Regular Season
Stats Per Game
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 11.4 | 4.2 | 10.6 | 39.8 | 2.3 | 6.4 | 36.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 59.9 | 6 | 287 |
| difference: | +1.0 | +0.3 | +0.1 | +2.1 | +0.3 | +1.1 | +1.1 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +13.4 | +10 | +690 |
| J.R. Smith | 12.4 | 4.5 | 10.7 | 41.9 | 2.0 | 5.3 | 37.3 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 73.3 | 16 | 977 |
Total Stats
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | 3,262 | 1,206 | 3,033 | 39.8 | 662 | 1,828 | 36.2 | 188 | 314 | 59.9 | 6 | 287 |
| difference: | +8,886 | +3,174 | +7,432 | +2.1 | +1,268 | +3,350 | +1.1 | +1,270 | +1,676 | +13.4 | +10 | +690 |
| J.R. Smith | 12,148 | 4,380 | 10,465 | 41.9 | 1,930 | 5,178 | 37.3 | 1,458 | 1,990 | 73.3 | 16 | 977 |
Playoffs
Stats Per Game
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 |
| difference: | +10.7 | +3.7 | +9.3 | +39.7 | +2.1 | +5.7 | +36.7 | +1.2 | +1.6 | +70.6 | +12 | +140 |
| J.R. Smith | 10.7 | 3.7 | 9.3 | 39.7 | 2.1 | 5.7 | 36.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 70.6 | 12 | 140 |
Total Stats
| Pts | FGM / A | % | 3PM / A | % | FTM / A | % | Yrs | Gms | ||||
| Lonzo Ball | DNP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 |
| difference: | +1,493 | +519 | +1,306 | +39.7 | +294 | +801 | +36.7 | +161 | +228 | +70.6 | +12 | +140 |
| J.R. Smith | 1,493 | 519 | 1,306 | 39.7 | 294 | 801 | 36.7 | 161 | 228 | 70.6 | 12 | 140 |
Year by Year Points Average Comparison
= NBA ChampionRegular Season
J.R. Smith's additional seasons: | ||||
* J.R. Smith played 10 seasons more than Lonzo Ball in the NBA. In those years—his seasons 7 to 16, from 2011 to 2020—he averaged 12.3 points in a total of 553 regular season games. During that period, his highest average was 18.1 ppg and his lowest 2.8. |
Playoffs
Rookie Season | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2018 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | - | DNP | 2005 | 0 |
Season 2 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2019 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | - | DNP | 2006 | 0 |
Season 3 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2020 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | 4.5 | +4.5 | 2007 | 4 |
Season 4 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2021 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | 18.3 | +18.3 | 2008 | 4 |
Season 5 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2022 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | 14.9 | +14.9 | 2009 | 16 |
Season 6 | Points per game | Year | Games | |
| Lonzo Ball | - | DNP | 2025 | 0 |
| J.R. Smith | 11.2 | +11.2 | 2010 | 6 |
J.R. Smith's additional Playoffs: | ||||
* During his 10 additional NBA seasons, J.R. Smith played in 8 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships. In those postseasons he averaged 10.0 points in a total of 110 games. His highest playoff average during that period was 14.3 ppg and his lowest 2. |