Bob Pettit vs. Dennis Smith Jr. Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Dennis Smith Jr. and Bob Pettit, 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.

Bob Pettit played 11 years in the NBA, 4 more than Dennis Smith Jr., who played 7. Bob Pettit had the first of his seasons in 1954-55, while Dennis Smith Jr. had his rookie season in 2017-18. 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
Bob Pettit 11 9 1954-55 to 1964-65
Dennis Smith Jr. 7 0 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11

Rookie Season
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1954-552017-18
Team Milwaukee HawksDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Rookie of the Year-
-Achievement All-Rookie Second Team
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 36.9 20.4 - - 13.8 3.2 - - - 3.6 7.2 17.8 .407 - - - 5.9 7.9 .751
Dennis Smith Jr. 69 29.7 15.2 0.7 3.0 3.8 5.2 1.0 0.3 2.8 2.2 5.9 14.8 .395 1.5 4.9 .313 1.9 2.8 .694
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit ------- --- ----------
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1955-562018-19
Team St. Louis HawksDallas Mavericks, New York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement Rebounds Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 38.8 25.7 - - 16.2 2.6 - - - 2.8 9.0 20.9 .429 - - - 7.7 10.5 .736
Dennis Smith Jr. 53 28.5 13.6 0.6 2.3 2.9 4.8 1.3 0.4 2.9 2.4 5.2 12.3 .428 1.3 3.9 .322 1.9 2.9 .635
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 8 34.3 19.1 - - 10.5 2.3 - - - 2.5 5.9 16.0 .367 - - - 7.4 8.8 .843
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1956-572019-20
Team St. Louis HawksNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 71 35.1 24.7 - - 14.6 1.9 - - - 2.5 8.6 20.8 .415 - - - 7.5 9.6 .773
Dennis Smith Jr. 34 15.8 5.5 0.6 1.7 2.3 2.9 0.8 0.2 1.7 1.9 2.1 6.2 .341 0.5 1.6 .296 0.8 1.6 .509
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 10 43.0 29.8 - - 16.8 2.5 - - - 3.3 9.8 23.7 .414 - - - 10.2 13.3 .767
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1957-582020-21
Team St. Louis HawksNew York Knicks, Detroit Pistons
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 70 36.1 24.6 - - 17.4 2.2 - - - 3.2 8.3 20.3 .410 - - - 8.0 10.6 .749
Dennis Smith Jr. 23 18.3 6.7 0.5 1.9 2.4 3.3 1.0 0.6 1.1 1.6 2.5 6.3 .400 0.8 2.5 .328 0.8 1.1 .731
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 11 39.1 24.2 - - 16.5 1.8 - - - 2.8 8.2 20.9 .391 - - - 7.8 10.7 .729
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1958-592021-22
Team St. Louis HawksPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement Scoring Leader-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 39.9 29.2 - - 16.4 3.1 - - - 2.8 10.0 22.8 .438 - - - 9.3 12.2 .759
Dennis Smith Jr. 37 17.2 5.6 0.5 1.8 2.4 3.6 1.2 0.3 1.4 1.4 2.1 5.1 .418 0.2 0.7 .222 1.1 1.7 .656
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 6 42.8 27.8 - - 12.5 2.3 - - - 3.3 9.7 22.8 .423 - - - 8.5 10.8 .785
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1959-602022-23
Team St. Louis HawksCharlotte Hornets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 72 40.2 26.1 - - 17.0 3.6 - - - 2.8 9.3 21.2 .438 - - - 7.6 10.0 .753
Dennis Smith Jr. 54 25.7 8.8 0.5 2.6 3.1 4.8 1.4 0.5 1.5 2.3 3.4 8.4 .412 0.4 2.1 .216 1.4 2.0 .736
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 14 41.1 26.1 - - 15.8 3.7 - - - 3.1 9.2 20.9 .442 - - - 7.6 10.1 .754
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1960-612023-24
Team St. Louis HawksBrooklyn Nets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 76 39.8 27.9 - - 20.3 3.4 - - - 2.9 10.1 22.6 .447 - - - 7.7 10.6 .724
Dennis Smith Jr. 56 18.9 6.6 0.9 2.0 2.9 3.6 1.2 0.2 1.2 2.2 2.6 6.0 .435 0.6 1.9 .294 0.8 1.0 .741
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 12 43.8 28.6 - - 17.6 3.2 - - - 3.5 9.8 23.7 .412 - - - 9.1 12.0 .757
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 8
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1961-62-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Did Not Play-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 78 42.1 31.1 - - 18.7 3.7 - - - 3.8 11.1 24.7 .450 - - - 8.9 11.6 .771
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit ------- --- ----------
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1962-63-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 79 39.1 28.4 - - 15.1 3.1 - - - 3.6 9.8 22.1 .446 - - - 8.7 11.2 .774
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 11 42.1 31.8 - - 15.1 3.0 - - - 3.1 10.8 23.5 .459 - - - 10.2 13.1 .778
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1963-64-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 80 41.2 27.4 - - 15.3 3.2 - - - 3.8 9.9 21.4 .463 - - - 7.6 9.6 .789
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 12 41.2 21.0 - - 14.5 2.8 - - - 3.7 7.8 18.8 .412 - - - 5.5 6.6 .835
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------

Season 11
Bob Pettit Dennis Smith Jr.
Season 1964-65-
Team St. Louis Hawks-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Hawks Lost West Div Semis-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 50 35.1 22.5 - - 12.4 2.6 - - - 3.3 7.9 18.5 .429 - - - 6.6 8.1 .820
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Bob Pettit 4 23.8 11.5 - - 6.0 2.0 - - - 2.5 3.8 10.3 .366 - - - 4.0 5.0 .800
Dennis Smith Jr. ------- --- ----------
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