Eric Riley vs. Ben Simmons Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Ben Simmons and Eric Riley, 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.

Eric Riley played 5 years in the NBA, 1 less than Ben Simmons, who played 6. Eric Riley had the first of his seasons in 1993-94, while Ben Simmons 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
Eric Riley 5 0 1993-94 to 1998-99
Ben Simmons 6 3 2017-18 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season 1993-942017-18
Team Houston RocketsPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
-Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley 47 4.7 1.9 0.5 0.7 1.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.7 1.5 .486 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.8 .541
Ben Simmons 81 33.7 15.8 1.8 6.3 8.1 8.2 1.7 0.9 3.4 2.6 6.7 12.3 .545 0.0 0.1 .000 2.4 4.2 .560
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons 10 36.9 16.3 1.6 7.8 9.4 7.7 1.7 0.8 4.4 3.4 6.1 12.5 .488 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 5.8 .707

Season 2

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season 1994-952018-19
Team Los Angeles ClippersPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley 40 10.9 4.4 1.1 1.7 2.8 0.3 0.4 0.9 0.8 2.0 1.6 3.6 .448 0.0 0.0 .000 1.2 1.6 .734
Ben Simmons 79 34.2 16.9 2.2 6.6 8.8 7.7 1.4 0.8 3.5 2.6 6.8 12.2 .563 0.0 0.1 .000 3.3 5.4 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons 12 35.1 13.9 1.9 5.1 7.0 6.0 1.3 1.0 2.7 3.8 6.0 9.7 .621 0.0 0.0 - 1.9 3.3 .575

Season 3

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season 1995-962019-20
Team Minnesota TimberwolvesPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Third Team
-Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-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 %
Eric Riley 25 12.4 3.7 1.3 1.8 3.0 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.7 1.7 1.4 3.0 .473 0.0 0.0 .000 0.9 1.1 .786
Ben Simmons 57 35.4 16.4 2.0 5.8 7.8 8.0 2.1 0.6 3.5 3.3 6.6 11.4 .580 0.0 0.1 .286 3.2 5.2 .621
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Note: Eric Riley didn't play in 1996-97.

Season 4

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season 1997-982020-21
Team Dallas MavericksPhiladelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not Play76ers Lost East Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley 39 13.9 3.6 1.1 2.3 3.4 0.6 0.4 1.2 0.9 2.1 1.4 3.5 .415 0.0 0.0 .000 0.7 0.9 .750
Ben Simmons 58 32.4 14.3 1.6 5.6 7.2 6.9 1.6 0.6 3.0 2.9 5.6 10.1 .557 0.1 0.2 .300 3.0 4.9 .613
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons 12 33.5 11.9 2.1 5.8 7.9 8.8 1.3 0.8 2.3 3.3 4.9 7.9 .621 0.0 0.1 .000 2.1 6.1 .342

Note: Ben Simmons didn't play in 2021-22.

Season 5

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season 1998-992022-23
Team Boston CelticsBrooklyn Nets
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 %
Eric Riley 35 9.6 2.2 1.0 1.8 2.8 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.7 2.1 0.8 1.5 .519 0.0 0.0 - 0.6 0.9 .710
Ben Simmons 42 26.3 6.9 1.0 5.3 6.3 6.1 1.3 0.6 2.3 3.3 3.2 5.6 .566 0.0 0.0 .000 0.6 1.4 .439
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------

Season 6

Eric Riley Ben Simmons
Season -2023-24
Team -Brooklyn Nets
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 %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons 15 23.9 6.1 2.1 5.9 7.9 5.7 0.8 0.6 1.8 2.4 2.9 4.9 .581 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 1.0 .400
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Eric Riley ------- --- ----------
Ben Simmons ------- --- ----------