D'Angelo Russell vs. Elmore Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Elmore Smith and D'Angelo Russell, 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.

D'Angelo Russell played 9 years in the NBA, 1 more than Elmore Smith, who played 8. D'Angelo Russell had the first of his seasons in 2015-16, while Elmore Smith had his rookie season in 1971-72. 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
D'Angelo Russell	9	4	2015-16 to 2023-24
Elmore Smith	8	4	1971-72 to 1978-79

Comparison Season by Season
Jump to season: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9


Rookie Season
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2015-16	1971-72
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Buffalo Braves
Honors & Awards	-	All-Rookie First Team
Honors & Awards	All-Rookie Second Team	-
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	80	28.2	13.2	0.6	2.8	3.4	3.3	1.2	0.2	2.5	1.8	4.9	12.0	.410	1.6	4.6	.351	1.8	2.4	.737
Elmore Smith	78	40.8	17.3	-	-	15.2	1.4	-	-	-	3.9	7.4	16.3	.454	-	-	-	2.5	4.7	.534

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-


Season 2
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2016-17	1972-73
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Buffalo Braves
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Did Not Play

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	63	28.7	15.6	0.5	3.0	3.5	4.8	1.4	0.3	2.8	2.1	5.6	13.8	.405	2.1	6.1	.352	2.3	3.0	.782
Elmore Smith	76	37.2	18.3	-	-	12.4	2.5	-	-	-	3.9	7.9	16.4	.482	-	-	-	2.5	4.4	.558

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-


Season 3
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2017-18	1973-74
Team	Brooklyn Nets	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	Blocks Leader
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Lakers Lost West Conf Semis

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	48	25.7	15.5	0.6	3.3	3.9	5.2	0.8	0.4	3.1	1.9	5.8	14.0	.414	1.9	5.8	.324	2.0	2.7	.740
Elmore Smith	81	36.1	12.5	2.5	8.7	11.2	1.9	0.9	4.9	-	3.8	5.4	11.7	.457	-	-	-	1.8	3.1	.590

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elmore Smith	5	34.2	19.2	3.8	6.8	10.6	1.2	1.4	1.6	-	4.0	8.4	17.6	.477	-	-	-	2.4	3.4	.706


Season 4
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2018-19	1974-75
Team	Brooklyn Nets	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Nets Lost East Conf 1st Rd	Did Not Play

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	81	30.2	21.1	0.7	3.2	3.9	7.0	1.2	0.2	3.1	1.7	8.1	18.7	.434	2.9	7.8	.369	2.0	2.5	.780
Elmore Smith	74	31.6	10.9	2.8	8.1	10.9	2.0	1.1	2.9	-	3.4	4.7	9.5	.493	-	-	-	1.5	3.1	.485

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	5	29.6	19.4	0.4	3.2	3.6	3.6	1.4	0.2	2.8	2.4	7.4	20.6	.359	2.4	7.4	.324	2.2	2.6	.846
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-


Season 5
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2019-20	1975-76
Team	Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves	Milwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Bucks 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		%
D'Angelo Russell	45	32.3	23.1	0.4	3.6	3.9	6.3	1.1	0.3	3.3	1.9	8.0	18.8	.426	3.5	9.6	.367	3.6	4.4	.809
Elmore Smith	78	36.0	15.6	2.6	8.9	11.4	1.2	1.0	3.1	-	3.4	6.4	12.3	.518	-	-	-	2.8	4.5	.632

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elmore Smith	3	34.7	14.7	1.7	5.7	7.3	0.3	0.7	3.7	-	4.7	5.0	9.0	.556	-	-	-	4.7	7.0	.667


Season 6
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2020-21	1976-77
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st Rd

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	42	28.5	19.0	0.4	2.3	2.6	5.8	1.1	0.4	2.7	1.6	6.7	15.5	.431	2.9	7.4	.387	2.7	3.5	.765
Elmore Smith	70	20.9	8.6	1.6	4.6	6.3	0.6	0.5	2.1	-	3.0	3.4	7.2	.475	-	-	-	1.7	3.0	.549

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elmore Smith	3	18.7	13.7	2.0	6.0	8.0	0.3	1.7	1.0	-	3.3	6.0	11.0	.545	-	-	-	1.7	2.7	.625


Season 7
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2021-22	1977-78
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Timberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st Rd

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	65	32.0	18.1	0.4	2.9	3.3	7.1	1.0	0.3	2.5	2.0	6.2	15.0	.411	2.7	8.0	.340	3.0	3.7	.825
Elmore Smith	81	24.6	12.5	2.2	6.2	8.4	0.7	0.6	2.2	1.7	3.0	5.0	10.0	.497	-	-	-	2.5	3.8	.663

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	6	32.7	12.0	0.0	2.5	2.5	6.7	1.5	0.0	2.8	2.8	4.0	12.0	.333	2.0	5.2	.387	2.0	2.7	.750
Elmore Smith	2	28.0	12.5	3.0	6.5	9.5	0.0	1.5	1.5	2.5	4.5	5.5	12.0	.458	-	-	-	1.5	3.0	.500


Season 8
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2022-23	1978-79
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf Finals	Did Not Play

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	71	32.5	17.8	0.5	2.5	3.0	6.2	1.0	0.4	2.6	2.0	6.3	13.4	.469	2.7	6.9	.396	2.5	3.0	.829
Elmore Smith	24	13.8	6.5	1.9	2.5	4.4	0.5	0.3	0.7	1.8	2.5	2.9	5.4	.531	-	-	-	0.8	1.1	.692

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	16	29.6	13.3	0.6	2.3	2.9	4.6	0.7	0.3	1.8	2.0	5.2	12.2	.426	1.7	5.4	.310	1.3	1.6	.769
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-


Season 9
	D'Angelo Russell	Elmore Smith
Season	2023-24	-
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	-
Honors & Awards
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd	-
Others	In-Season Tournament Champion	-

more >>

Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	76	32.7	18.0	0.4	2.7	3.1	6.3	0.9	0.5	2.1	2.1	6.5	14.2	.456	3.0	7.2	.415	2.1	2.5	.828
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
D'Angelo Russell	5	37.0	14.2	0.2	2.6	2.8	4.2	0.8	0.2	1.8	1.2	5.6	14.6	.384	2.8	8.8	.318	0.2	0.4	.500
Elmore Smith	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

D'Angelo Russell vs. Elmore Smith Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Elmore Smith and D'Angelo Russell, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Their Careers

Comparison Season by Season

Rookie Season

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9