Arvydas Sabonis vs. Dion Waiters Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Dion Waiters and Arvydas Sabonis, 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.

Arvydas Sabonis played 7 years in the NBA, 1 less than Dion Waiters, who played 8. Arvydas Sabonis had the first of his seasons in 1995-96, while Dion Waiters had his rookie season in 2012-13. 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
Arvydas Sabonis 7 7 1995-96 to 2002-03
Dion Waiters 8 2 2012-13 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 1995-962012-13
Team Portland Trail BlazersCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 61 28.8 14.7 0.4 2.1 2.4 3.0 1.0 0.3 2.0 1.9 5.5 13.4 .412 1.0 3.3 .310 2.6 3.5 .746
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 1996-972013-14
Team Portland Trail BlazersCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 70 29.6 15.9 0.5 2.3 2.8 3.0 0.9 0.2 2.2 2.2 6.1 14.2 .433 1.3 3.6 .368 2.3 3.4 .685
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 1997-982014-15
Team Portland Trail BlazersCleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 80 27.6 11.8 0.5 1.9 2.4 2.0 1.1 0.3 1.4 1.9 4.7 11.8 .396 0.9 3.1 .297 1.5 2.2 .680
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

Season 4

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 1998-992015-16
Team Portland Trail BlazersOklahoma City Thunder
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf FinalsThunder 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 %
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
Dion Waiters 78 27.6 9.8 0.5 2.1 2.6 2.0 1.0 0.2 1.5 1.8 3.6 9.1 .399 1.1 3.1 .358 1.4 2.0 .713
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 18 27.3 8.4 0.3 2.3 2.6 2.3 0.6 0.2 1.1 2.3 3.1 7.3 .417 1.2 3.1 .375 1.1 1.7 .667

Season 5

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 1999-002016-17
Team Portland Trail BlazersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 46 30.1 15.8 0.4 2.9 3.3 4.3 0.9 0.4 2.2 2.1 6.1 14.4 .424 1.8 4.7 .395 1.8 2.8 .646
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 2000-012017-18
Team Portland Trail BlazersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 30 30.6 14.3 0.3 2.3 2.6 3.8 0.8 0.3 2.3 2.0 5.4 13.7 .398 1.7 5.7 .306 1.7 2.3 .739
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

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

Season 7

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season 2002-032018-19
Team Portland Trail BlazersMiami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters 44 25.9 12.0 0.2 2.5 2.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 1.5 1.6 4.5 10.9 .414 2.5 6.6 .377 0.5 1.0 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
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
Dion Waiters ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Arvydas Sabonis Dion Waiters
Season -2019-20
Team -Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers
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 %
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Dion Waiters 10 20.7 11.1 0.2 2.2 2.4 2.0 0.4 0.6 1.6 2.1 4.1 9.9 .414 1.5 4.7 .319 1.4 1.7 .824
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Arvydas Sabonis ------- --- ----------
Dion Waiters 5 7.6 2.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.8 2.4 .333 0.0 0.8 .000 0.4 0.4 1.000