Nathaniel Clifton vs. Spencer Haywood Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Spencer Haywood and Nathaniel Clifton, 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.

Nathaniel Clifton played 8 years in the NBA, 4 less than Spencer Haywood, who played 12. Nathaniel Clifton had the first of his seasons in 1950-51, while Spencer Haywood had his rookie season in 1970-71. 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
Nathaniel Clifton 8 6 1950-51 to 1957-58
Spencer Haywood 12 4 1970-71 to 1982-83

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1950-511970-71
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Knicks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 65 - 8.6 - - 7.6 2.5 - - - 4.1 3.2 10.1 .322 - - - 2.2 4.0 .532
Spencer Haywood 33 35.2 20.6 - - 12.0 1.5 - - - 2.5 7.9 17.5 .449 - - - 4.8 6.6 .734
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 14 - 7.1 - - 9.8 3.3 - - - 4.4 2.9 8.4 .347 - - - 1.3 3.3 .391
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 2

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1951-521971-72
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 62 33.9 10.6 - - 11.8 3.4 - - - 3.7 3.9 11.8 .335 - - - 2.7 4.1 .664
Spencer Haywood 73 43.4 26.2 - - 12.7 2.0 - - - 2.8 9.8 21.3 .461 - - - 6.6 8.0 .819
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 14 33.0 9.4 - - 9.5 2.4 - - - 4.8 2.8 9.5 .293 - - - 3.9 5.4 .711
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 3

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1952-531972-73
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 70 35.7 10.6 - - 10.9 3.3 - - - 3.9 3.9 11.3 .343 - - - 2.9 4.9 .583
Spencer Haywood 77 42.3 29.2 - - 12.9 2.5 - - - 2.8 11.5 24.3 .476 - - - 6.1 7.3 .839
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 11 36.8 12.0 - - 12.7 3.5 - - - 4.4 4.6 11.7 .395 - - - 2.7 4.3 .638
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 4

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1953-541973-74
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost E Div Round RobinDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 72 30.3 9.6 - - 7.3 2.4 - - - 3.0 3.6 9.7 .368 - - - 2.4 3.8 .628
Spencer Haywood 75 40.5 23.5 4.2 9.2 13.4 3.2 0.9 1.4 - 2.6 9.3 20.3 .457 - - - 5.0 6.1 .814
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 4 31.3 6.3 - - 9.8 1.5 - - - 3.8 2.0 6.8 .296 - - - 2.3 4.3 .529
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 5

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1954-551974-75
Team New York KnicksSeattle Supersonics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div SemisSupersonics 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 %
Nathaniel Clifton 72 33.2 13.1 - - 8.5 2.8 - - - 3.1 5.0 12.9 .386 - - - 3.1 4.6 .683
Spencer Haywood 68 37.2 22.4 2.9 6.4 9.3 2.0 0.8 1.6 - 2.5 8.9 19.5 .459 - - - 4.5 5.6 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 3 36.7 19.7 - - 7.7 4.3 - - - 4.0 6.7 17.3 .385 - - - 6.3 8.0 .792
Spencer Haywood 9 37.4 15.7 2.2 6.8 9.0 2.0 0.8 1.2 - 3.2 5.2 14.6 .359 - - - 5.2 6.8 .770

Season 6

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1955-561975-76
Team New York KnicksNew York Knicks
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 %
Nathaniel Clifton 64 24.0 8.8 - - 6.0 2.4 - - - 3.0 3.3 8.5 .394 - - - 2.1 3.0 .707
Spencer Haywood 78 37.1 19.9 3.0 8.3 11.3 1.2 0.7 1.0 - 3.3 7.8 17.4 .445 - - - 4.3 5.7 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 7

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1956-571976-77
Team New York KnicksNew York Knicks
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 %
Nathaniel Clifton 71 31.4 10.7 - - 7.8 2.3 - - - 3.4 4.3 11.5 .377 - - - 2.1 3.1 .673
Spencer Haywood 31 32.9 16.5 2.5 6.5 9.0 1.6 0.5 0.9 - 2.3 6.5 14.5 .450 - - - 3.5 4.2 .832
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 8

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season 1957-581977-78
Team Detroit PistonsNew York Knicks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Pistons Lost West Div FinalsKnicks 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 %
Nathaniel Clifton 68 21.1 7.7 - - 5.9 1.1 - - - 3.0 3.2 8.8 .363 - - - 1.3 2.1 .623
Spencer Haywood 67 26.3 13.7 2.1 4.5 6.6 1.9 0.6 1.1 2.1 2.8 6.1 12.7 .484 - - - 1.4 2.0 .711
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton 7 10.6 4.0 - - 3.3 0.6 - - - 1.6 1.6 4.3 .367 - - - 0.9 1.1 .750
Spencer Haywood 6 29.5 16.2 3.2 3.8 7.0 2.0 0.3 0.8 1.7 4.0 7.2 14.2 .506 - - - 1.8 1.8 1.000

Season 9

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season -1978-79
Team -New York Knicks, New Orleans Jazz
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 %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 68 34.7 20.9 2.5 5.3 7.8 1.9 0.6 1.2 2.9 3.5 8.8 17.7 .494 - - - 3.4 4.3 .791
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------

Season 10

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season -1979-80
Team -Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -NBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 76 20.3 9.7 1.7 2.8 4.6 1.2 0.5 0.8 1.8 2.6 3.8 7.8 .487 0.0 0.1 .250 2.1 2.7 .772
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 11 13.2 5.7 1.3 1.1 2.4 0.4 0.0 0.5 1.8 1.5 2.3 4.8 .472 0.0 0.1 .000 1.2 1.5 .813

Note: Spencer Haywood didn't play in 1980-81.

Season 11

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season -1981-82
Team -Washington Bullets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Bullets 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 %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 76 27.4 13.3 1.9 3.7 5.6 0.8 0.6 0.9 2.3 3.3 5.2 10.9 .476 0.0 0.0 .000 2.9 3.4 .842
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 7 33.0 20.0 2.3 3.3 5.6 1.0 0.6 2.0 2.1 4.0 8.1 16.4 .496 0.0 0.0 - 3.7 5.0 .743

Season 12

Nathaniel Clifton Spencer Haywood
Season -1982-83
Team -Washington Bullets
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 %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood 38 20.4 8.2 2.0 2.8 4.8 0.8 0.3 0.7 1.8 2.5 3.3 8.2 .401 0.0 0.0 .000 1.7 2.3 .724
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nathaniel Clifton ------- --- ----------
Spencer Haywood ------- --- ----------