Dave Cowens vs. Tyler Zeller Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tyler Zeller and Dave Cowens, 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.

Dave Cowens played 11 years in the NBA, 3 more than Tyler Zeller, who played 8. Dave Cowens had the first of his seasons in 1970-71, while Tyler Zeller 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
Dave Cowens 11 7 1970-71 to 1982-83
Tyler Zeller 8 4 2012-13 to 2019-20

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1970-712012-13
Team Boston CelticsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Rookie Second Team
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 %
Dave Cowens 81 38.0 17.0 - - 15.0 2.8 - - - 4.3 6.8 16.1 .422 - - - 3.4 4.6 .732
Tyler Zeller 77 26.4 7.9 2.1 3.6 5.7 1.2 0.5 0.9 1.2 3.3 3.2 7.3 .438 0.0 0.1 .000 1.6 2.0 .764
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1971-722013-14
Team Boston CelticsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East 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 %
Dave Cowens 79 40.3 18.8 - - 15.2 3.1 - - - 4.0 8.3 17.2 .484 - - - 2.2 3.1 .720
Tyler Zeller 70 15.0 5.7 1.5 2.6 4.0 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.9 2.0 2.2 4.1 .538 0.0 0.0 .000 1.2 1.7 .719
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 40.1 15.5 - - 13.8 3.0 - - - 4.5 6.5 14.2 .455 - - - 2.5 4.3 .596
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1972-732014-15
Team Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Achievement All-Star Game NVP-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsCeltics 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 %
Dave Cowens 82 41.8 20.5 - - 16.2 4.1 - - - 3.8 9.0 20.0 .452 - - - 2.5 3.2 .779
Tyler Zeller 82 21.1 10.2 1.8 3.9 5.7 1.4 0.2 0.6 0.9 2.5 4.1 7.5 .549 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 2.3 .823
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 13 46.0 21.9 - - 16.6 3.7 - - - 4.2 9.9 21.0 .473 - - - 2.1 3.2 .659
Tyler Zeller 4 22.5 8.5 0.5 4.0 4.5 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.0 1.3 3.8 7.3 .517 0.0 0.0 - 1.0 1.3 .800

Season 4

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1973-742015-16
Team Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionCeltics 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 %
Dave Cowens 80 41.9 19.0 3.3 12.4 15.7 4.4 1.2 1.3 - 3.7 8.1 18.4 .437 - - - 2.9 3.4 .832
Tyler Zeller 60 11.8 6.1 1.0 1.9 3.0 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.6 2.3 4.8 .476 0.0 0.0 - 1.5 1.8 .815
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 42.9 20.5 3.3 10.0 13.3 3.7 1.2 0.9 - 4.7 8.9 20.6 .435 - - - 2.6 3.3 .797
Tyler Zeller 3 12.7 6.0 1.3 3.7 5.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.3 2.3 5.0 .467 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 2.0 .667

Season 5

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1974-752016-17
Team Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf FinalsCeltics Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 65 40.5 20.4 3.5 11.2 14.7 4.6 1.3 1.1 - 3.7 8.8 18.4 .475 - - - 2.9 3.8 .783
Tyler Zeller 51 10.3 3.5 0.8 1.6 2.4 0.8 0.1 0.4 0.4 1.2 1.5 3.1 .494 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.8 .564
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 11 43.5 20.5 4.5 12.0 16.5 4.2 1.6 0.5 - 4.5 9.2 21.5 .428 - - - 2.1 2.4 .885
Tyler Zeller 11 7.1 2.9 0.7 1.0 1.7 0.7 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.2 2.3 .520 0.0 0.0 - 0.5 0.7 .750

Season 6

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1975-762017-18
Team Boston CelticsBrooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionBucks 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 %
Dave Cowens 78 39.8 19.0 4.3 11.7 16.0 4.2 1.2 0.9 - 4.0 7.8 16.7 .468 - - - 3.3 4.4 .756
Tyler Zeller 66 16.8 6.7 1.7 3.0 4.6 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.7 1.9 2.8 5.1 .560 0.2 0.4 .357 0.9 1.2 .722
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 18 44.3 21.0 4.8 11.6 16.4 4.6 1.2 0.7 - 4.7 8.7 18.9 .457 - - - 3.7 4.8 .759
Tyler Zeller 7 9.4 1.6 0.3 1.7 2.0 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.1 1.6 0.6 0.7 .800 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.6 .750

Season 7

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1976-772018-19
Team Boston CelticsAtlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 50 37.8 16.4 2.9 11.0 13.9 5.0 0.9 1.0 - 3.6 6.6 15.1 .434 - - - 3.2 4.0 .818
Tyler Zeller 6 15.5 7.7 1.8 2.2 4.0 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.7 3.3 2.7 5.0 .533 0.0 0.2 .000 2.3 3.0 .778
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 42.1 16.6 3.2 11.7 14.9 4.0 0.9 1.4 - 4.1 7.3 16.4 .446 - - - 1.9 2.4 .773
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1977-782019-20
Team Boston CelticsSan Antonio Spurs
Honors & Awards 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 %
Dave Cowens 77 41.8 18.6 3.2 10.8 14.0 4.6 1.3 0.9 2.8 3.9 7.8 15.8 .490 - - - 3.1 3.7 .842
Tyler Zeller 2 2.0 1.0 1.5 0.5 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.0 .250 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Season 9

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1978-79-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards
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 %
Dave Cowens 68 37.0 16.6 2.2 7.4 9.6 3.6 1.1 0.8 2.6 3.9 7.2 14.9 .483 - - - 2.2 2.8 .807
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Season 10

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1979-80-
Team Boston Celtics-
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Celtics Lost East Conf Finals-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 66 32.7 14.2 1.9 6.2 8.1 3.1 1.0 0.9 1.6 3.3 6.4 14.1 .453 0.0 0.2 .083 1.4 1.8 .779
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens 9 33.4 12.0 2.0 5.3 7.3 2.3 1.0 0.8 0.9 4.1 5.4 11.4 .476 0.0 0.2 .000 1.1 1.2 .909
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------

Note: Dave Cowens didn't play in 1980-81 and 1981-82.

Season 11

Dave Cowens Tyler Zeller
Season 1982-83-
Team Milwaukee Bucks-
Honors & Awards
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 %
Dave Cowens 40 25.4 8.1 1.8 5.0 6.9 2.1 0.8 0.4 1.1 3.4 3.4 7.7 .444 0.0 0.1 .000 1.3 1.6 .825
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Dave Cowens ------- --- ----------
Tyler Zeller ------- --- ----------