LaMelo Ball vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and LaMelo Ball, 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.

LaMelo Ball played 4 years in the NBA, 9 less than Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who played 13. LaMelo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas had his rookie season in 1997-98. 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
LaMelo Ball 4 0 2020-21 to 2023-24
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13 7 1997-98 to 2010-11

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13

Rookie Season

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season 2020-211997-98
Team Charlotte HornetsCleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards Achievement Rookie of the Year-
Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayCavaliers 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 %
LaMelo Ball 51 28.8 15.7 1.2 4.7 5.9 6.1 1.6 0.4 2.8 2.7 5.7 13.2 .436 1.8 5.1 .352 2.5 3.2 .758
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 82 29.0 13.9 3.4 5.4 8.8 0.9 0.6 1.6 1.8 3.5 5.5 10.7 .518 0.0 0.0 .250 2.8 3.7 .762
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 4 36.8 17.3 3.5 4.0 7.5 0.5 0.5 1.3 2.5 5.5 7.0 12.3 .571 0.0 0.0 - 3.3 6.3 .520

Season 2

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season 2021-221998-99
Team Charlotte HornetsCleveland Cavaliers
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 %
LaMelo Ball 75 32.3 20.1 1.4 5.2 6.7 7.6 1.6 0.4 3.3 3.2 7.2 16.7 .429 2.9 7.5 .389 2.8 3.2 .872
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 5 34.2 15.2 3.4 5.4 8.8 0.8 0.8 1.4 1.8 4.8 5.8 11.4 .509 0.0 0.0 - 3.6 6.0 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Note: Zydrunas Ilgauskas didn't play in 1999-00.

Season 3

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season 2022-232000-01
Team Charlotte HornetsCleveland Cavaliers
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 %
LaMelo Ball 36 35.2 23.3 1.2 5.3 6.4 8.4 1.3 0.3 3.6 3.3 8.2 20.0 .411 4.0 10.6 .376 2.8 3.4 .836
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 24 25.7 11.7 2.7 4.0 6.7 0.8 0.6 1.5 2.5 3.3 4.8 9.8 .487 0.0 0.1 .000 2.2 3.3 .679
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Season 4

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season 2023-242001-02
Team Charlotte HornetsCleveland Cavaliers
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 %
LaMelo Ball 22 32.3 23.9 1.3 3.8 5.1 8.0 1.8 0.2 3.8 3.6 8.3 19.2 .433 3.2 9.0 .355 4.1 4.7 .865
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 62 21.4 11.1 2.2 3.2 5.4 1.1 0.3 1.4 1.5 3.0 3.9 9.1 .425 0.0 0.1 .000 3.4 4.5 .754
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Season 5

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2002-03
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 81 30.0 17.2 3.0 4.6 7.5 1.6 0.7 1.9 2.6 3.4 6.1 13.9 .441 0.0 0.1 .000 4.9 6.3 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Season 6

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2003-04
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 81 31.3 15.3 3.4 4.6 8.1 1.3 0.5 2.5 2.0 3.4 5.8 11.9 .483 0.0 0.1 .286 3.7 5.0 .746
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Season 7

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2004-05
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 78 33.5 16.9 3.8 4.8 8.6 1.3 0.7 2.1 2.4 4.0 5.9 12.6 .468 0.0 0.1 .286 5.2 6.4 .799
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ------- --- ----------

Season 8

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2005-06
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 78 29.3 15.6 3.1 4.4 7.6 1.2 0.5 1.7 2.0 3.6 5.8 11.4 .506 0.0 0.1 .000 4.1 4.9 .834
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13 27.2 10.4 2.5 3.8 6.3 0.8 0.4 2.1 1.8 3.5 4.2 9.2 .454 0.0 0.0 - 2.1 2.8 .750

Season 9

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2006-07
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 78 27.3 11.9 3.1 4.6 7.7 1.6 0.6 1.3 1.8 3.3 4.9 10.2 .485 0.0 0.0 .000 2.0 2.5 .807
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 20 32.5 12.6 3.3 6.4 9.7 0.9 0.5 0.8 1.6 3.0 4.9 9.9 .492 0.0 0.0 - 2.9 3.4 .838

Season 10

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2007-08
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 73 30.4 14.1 3.6 5.7 9.3 1.4 0.5 1.6 1.8 3.4 5.7 12.0 .474 0.0 0.0 .000 2.7 3.3 .802
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13 30.2 13.1 2.5 5.0 7.5 1.6 0.4 1.1 1.6 2.7 5.2 10.8 .479 0.0 0.0 - 2.8 3.4 .818

Season 11

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2008-09
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 65 27.2 12.9 2.4 5.1 7.5 1.0 0.4 1.3 1.4 2.8 5.3 11.1 .472 0.2 0.6 .385 2.1 2.7 .799
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 14 29.1 10.5 1.9 5.9 7.8 1.2 0.4 0.9 0.6 3.4 4.4 9.9 .449 0.1 0.9 .154 1.5 2.4 .636

Season 12

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2009-10
Team -Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Cavaliers 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 %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 64 20.9 7.4 1.8 3.6 5.4 0.8 0.2 0.8 1.0 2.9 3.0 6.8 .443 0.2 0.4 .478 1.2 1.6 .743
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 7 9.9 1.7 1.0 0.6 1.6 0.4 0.0 1.0 0.1 1.4 0.7 1.9 .385 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.4 .667

Season 13

LaMelo Ball Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Season -2010-11
Team -Miami Heat
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Heat Lost NBA Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 72 15.9 5.0 1.5 2.5 4.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.7 2.6 2.3 4.4 .508 0.0 0.0 .000 0.5 0.6 .783
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
LaMelo Ball ------- --- ----------
Zydrunas Ilgauskas 9 11.6 3.6 1.7 1.9 3.6 0.3 0.0 0.3 1.0 1.8 1.6 3.3 .467 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.7 .667