Don Buse vs. Aaron Gordon Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Aaron Gordon and Don Buse, 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.

Don Buse played 9 years in the NBA, 1 less than Aaron Gordon, who played 10. Don Buse had the first of his seasons in 1976-77, while Aaron Gordon had his rookie season in 2014-15. 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
Don Buse 9 6 1976-77 to 1984-85
Aaron Gordon 10 5 2014-15 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1976-772014-15
Team Indiana PacersOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement Assists Leader-
Achievement Steals Leader-
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 %
Don Buse 81 36.4 8.0 0.8 2.5 3.3 8.5 3.5 0.2 - 1.6 3.3 7.9 .416 - - - 1.4 1.8 .786
Aaron Gordon 47 17.0 5.2 1.0 2.6 3.6 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.8 2.0 4.4 .447 0.3 1.0 .271 0.9 1.3 .721
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Aaron Gordon ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1977-782015-16
Team Phoenix SunsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs Suns 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 %
Don Buse 82 31.1 8.4 0.7 2.3 3.0 4.8 2.3 0.2 1.5 1.8 3.5 7.6 .458 - - - 1.4 1.7 .824
Aaron Gordon 78 23.9 9.2 2.0 4.5 6.5 1.6 0.8 0.7 0.8 2.0 3.5 7.4 .473 0.5 1.8 .296 1.7 2.5 .668
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 2 38.0 4.0 0.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.5 1.5 2.0 5.5 .364 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
Aaron Gordon ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1978-792016-17
Team Phoenix SunsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs Suns 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 %
Don Buse 82 31.0 7.8 0.5 2.1 2.6 4.3 1.9 0.2 1.2 1.8 3.5 7.0 .495 - - - 0.9 1.1 .769
Aaron Gordon 80 28.7 12.7 1.5 3.6 5.1 1.9 0.8 0.5 1.1 2.2 4.9 10.8 .454 1.0 3.3 .288 2.0 2.7 .719
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 15 34.1 7.9 1.1 2.5 3.7 3.5 1.5 0.3 1.0 2.1 3.1 7.7 .405 - - - 1.6 2.2 .727
Aaron Gordon ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1979-802017-18
Team Phoenix SunsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Playoffs Suns Lost West 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 %
Don Buse 81 30.9 7.7 0.9 2.0 2.9 4.0 1.6 0.1 1.1 1.4 3.2 7.3 .443 0.2 1.0 .241 1.0 1.6 .664
Aaron Gordon 58 32.9 17.6 1.5 6.4 7.9 2.3 1.0 0.8 1.8 1.9 6.5 14.9 .434 2.0 5.9 .336 2.7 3.9 .698
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 8 29.5 8.5 1.0 1.6 2.6 5.5 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.9 3.5 8.0 .438 0.6 1.6 .385 0.9 1.4 .636
Aaron Gordon ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1980-812018-19
Team Indiana PacersOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pacers Lost East Conf 1st RdMagic 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 %
Don Buse 58 18.9 5.1 0.3 1.1 1.4 2.4 1.3 0.1 0.7 1.1 2.0 4.9 .397 0.3 1.0 .328 0.9 1.1 .769
Aaron Gordon 78 33.8 16.0 1.7 5.7 7.4 3.7 0.7 0.7 2.1 2.2 6.0 13.4 .449 1.6 4.4 .349 2.4 3.2 .731
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 2 17.5 2.5 0.0 2.5 2.5 3.5 1.5 0.0 1.0 2.0 0.5 4.0 .125 0.5 2.0 .250 1.0 1.0 1.000
Aaron Gordon 5 32.8 15.2 2.2 5.0 7.2 3.6 1.2 0.2 2.6 3.2 5.8 12.4 .468 1.6 4.0 .400 2.0 3.8 .526

Season 6
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1981-822019-20
Team Indiana PacersOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards
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 %
Don Buse 82 30.8 9.7 0.6 2.2 2.7 5.0 2.0 0.3 1.2 2.1 3.8 8.4 .455 0.9 2.3 .386 1.2 1.5 .813
Aaron Gordon 62 32.5 14.4 1.7 5.9 7.7 3.7 0.8 0.6 1.6 2.0 5.4 12.4 .437 1.2 3.8 .308 2.4 3.6 .674
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Aaron Gordon ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1982-832020-21
Team Portland Trail BlazersOrlando Magic, Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Trail Blazers Lost West Conf SemisNuggets 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 %
Don Buse 41 15.7 4.7 0.5 0.9 1.3 2.8 1.1 0.0 0.6 1.5 1.8 4.4 .396 0.2 0.9 .257 1.0 1.1 .891
Aaron Gordon 50 27.7 12.4 1.5 4.1 5.7 3.2 0.7 0.7 1.9 1.8 4.6 10.0 .463 1.2 3.5 .335 1.9 3.0 .651
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 5 6.2 1.4 0.0 0.4 0.4 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.6 .250 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 0.8 .750
Aaron Gordon 10 29.9 11.1 2.1 3.3 5.4 2.0 0.5 0.3 1.4 2.3 4.3 9.9 .434 0.9 2.3 .391 1.6 2.5 .640

Season 8
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1983-842021-22
Team Kansas City KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Kings Lost West Conf 1st RdNuggets 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 %
Don Buse 76 17.5 5.0 0.4 1.1 1.5 4.0 1.1 0.0 1.1 0.8 2.0 4.6 .426 0.2 0.8 .305 0.8 1.1 .788
Aaron Gordon 75 31.7 15.0 1.7 4.2 5.9 2.5 0.6 0.6 1.8 2.0 5.8 11.1 .520 1.2 3.5 .335 2.3 3.1 .743
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 3 16.7 7.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 3.7 0.3 0.3 1.0 1.7 2.3 5.3 .438 1.0 2.0 .500 1.3 2.0 .667
Aaron Gordon 5 32.0 13.8 3.6 3.6 7.2 2.6 0.4 1.2 1.6 2.8 4.6 10.8 .426 0.6 3.0 .200 4.0 5.6 .714

Season 9
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season 1984-852022-23
Team Kansas City KingsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse 65 14.4 3.4 0.3 0.6 0.9 3.1 0.6 0.0 0.7 1.2 1.3 3.1 .404 0.5 1.3 .356 0.4 0.5 .767
Aaron Gordon 68 30.2 16.3 2.4 4.1 6.6 3.0 0.8 0.8 1.4 1.9 6.3 11.2 .564 0.9 2.5 .347 2.8 4.6 .608
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Aaron Gordon 20 35.7 13.3 2.5 3.6 6.0 2.6 0.6 0.7 1.0 2.9 5.1 9.8 .518 0.9 2.3 .391 2.3 3.5 .652

Season 10
Don Buse Aaron Gordon
Season -2023-24
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Nuggets TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Aaron Gordon 73 31.5 13.9 2.4 4.1 6.5 3.5 0.8 0.6 1.4 1.9 5.5 9.8 .556 0.5 1.9 .290 2.4 3.7 .658
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Don Buse ------- --- ----------
Aaron Gordon 11 36.5 15.3 2.9 4.6 7.5 4.6 0.9 0.5 1.5 2.1 6.1 10.3 .593 1.0 2.5 .407 2.1 2.5 .821
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