Zach LaVine vs. J.R. Smith: Career Scoring Comparison

We break down the scoring legacies of J.R. Smith and Zach LaVine 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.

Player comparisons:
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 Zach LaVine has better scoring averages both in the regular season and Playoffs and also scored more total points during the season while J.R. Smith scored more points in the postseason. 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:

Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers
Games of 30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc
Shooting Stats
Points Year by Year

Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?

Points in the Regular Season

In his 12 NBA regular seasons played, Zach LaVine averages 8.4 points more than J.R. Smith in his 16 seasons (20.8 points against 12.4), and he also scored a total of 1,896 points more (14,044 vs. 12,148).

Points Per Game

Seasons
Zach LaVine 20.8
+8.4
12
J.R. Smith 12.4
16

Total Points

Seasons
Zach LaVine 14,044
+1,896
12
J.R. Smith 12,148
16

Points in the Playoffs

In the NBA postseason Zach LaVine has a better career point average than J.R. Smith (+8.6 points per game) while J.R. Smith scored more points (+1,416).

Points Per Game

Playoffs
Zach LaVine 19.3
+8.6
1
J.R. Smith 10.7
12

Total Points

Playoffs
Zach LaVine 77
1
J.R. Smith 1,493
+1,416
12

Points by Thresholds

Regular Season

50+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 2
+2
J.R. Smith 0

40+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 24
+20
J.R. Smith 4

30+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 128
+104
J.R. Smith 24

20+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 383
+223
J.R. Smith 160

10+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 580
J.R. Smith 604
+24

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Zach LaVine 668
J.R. Smith 932
+264

0 Point Games (games without points)

Zach LaVine 8
J.R. Smith 45
+37

Playoffs

20+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 2
J.R. Smith 14
+12

10+ Point Games

Zach LaVine 4
J.R. Smith 77
+73

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Zach LaVine 4
J.R. Smith 130
+126

0 Point Games (games without points)

Zach LaVine 0
J.R. Smith 10
+10

Career Shooting Stats Comparison

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Regular Season

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Zach LaVine 20.8 7.4 15.8 47.0 2.4 6.0 39.1 3.6 4.3 83.4 12 676
difference:+8.4+2.9+5.1+5.2+0.4+0.7+1.8+2.1+2.3+10.1+4+301
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
Zach LaVine 14,044 5,013 10,662 47.0 1,594 4,079 39.1 2,424 2,907 83.4 12 676
difference:+1,896+633+197+5.2+336+1,099+1.8+966+917+10.1+4+301
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
Zach LaVine 19.3 6.8 15.8 42.9 2.3 6.0 37.5 3.5 3.8 93.3 1 4
difference:+8.6+3.1+6.5+3.1+0.2+0.3+0.8+2.3+2.2+22.7+11+136
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
Zach LaVine 77 27 63 42.9 9 24 37.5 14 15 93.3 1 4
difference:+1,416+492+1,243+3.1+285+777+0.8+147+213+22.7+11+136
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 Champion = NBA Champion

Regular Season

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 10.1
201577
J.R. Smith 10.3
+0.2
200576

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 14.0
+6.3
201682
J.R. Smith 7.7
200655

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 18.9
+5.9
201747
J.R. Smith 13.0
200763

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 16.7
+4.4
201824
J.R. Smith 12.3
200874

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 23.7
+8.5
201963
J.R. Smith 15.2
200981

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 25.5
+10.1
202060
J.R. Smith 15.4
201075

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 27.4
+15.1
202158
J.R. Smith 12.3
201179

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 24.4
+11.9
202267
J.R. Smith 12.5
201235

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 24.8
+6.7
202377
J.R. Smith 18.1
201380

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 19.5
+5.0
202425
J.R. Smith 14.5
201474

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 23.3
+11.2
202574
J.R. Smith 12.1
201570

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 23.3
+10.9
202574
J.R. Smith 12.4
2016NBA Champion77

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 20.6
+12.0
202622
J.R. Smith 8.6
201741

J.R. Smith's additional seasons:

* J.R. Smith played 3 seasons more than Zach LaVine in the NBA.

In those years—his seasons 14 to 16, from 2018 to 2020—he averaged 7.8 points in a total of 97 regular season games. During that period, his highest average was 8.3 ppg and his lowest 2.8.

Playoffs

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20150
J.R. Smith -
DNP
20050

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20160
J.R. Smith -
DNP
20060

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20170
J.R. Smith 4.5
+4.5
20074

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20180
J.R. Smith 18.3
+18.3
20084

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20190
J.R. Smith 14.9
+14.9
200916

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20200
J.R. Smith 11.2
+11.2
20106

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20210
J.R. Smith 9.8
+9.8
20115

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine 19.3
+7.1
20224
J.R. Smith 12.2
20125

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20230
J.R. Smith 14.3
+14.3
201311

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20240
J.R. Smith -
DNP
20140

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20250
J.R. Smith 12.8
+12.8
201518

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP
20250
J.R. Smith 11.5
+11.5
2016NBA Champion21

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Zach LaVine -
DNP *
20260
J.R. Smith 8.1
+8.1
201718
* season in progress

J.R. Smith's additional Playoffs:

* During his 3 additional NBA seasons, J.R. Smith played in two Playoffs and won one NBA Championship. In those postseasons he averaged 6.6 points in a total of 32 games. His highest playoff average during that period was 8.7 ppg and his lowest 2.

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