Nikola Jokic vs. Gary Payton II Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Gary Payton II and Nikola Jokic, 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 / Games against each other

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.

Nikola Jokic played 9 years in the NBA, 1 more than Gary Payton II, who played 8. Nikola Jokic had the first of his seasons in 2015-16, while Gary Payton II had his rookie season in 2016-17. 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
Nikola Jokic 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24
Gary Payton II 8 2 2016-17 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

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

Rookie Season
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2015-162016-17
Team Denver NuggetsMilwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First 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 %
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
Gary Payton II 6 16.5 3.3 0.0 2.0 2.0 2.2 0.5 0.7 1.7 1.5 1.3 3.7 .364 0.2 1.5 .111 0.5 0.8 .600
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2016-172017-18
Team Denver NuggetsMilwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
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 %
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
Gary Payton II 23 9.6 3.0 0.6 1.3 1.9 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.3 1.3 3.2 .405 0.3 1.1 .240 0.1 0.4 .333
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2017-182018-19
Team Denver NuggetsWashington Wizards
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 %
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
Gary Payton II 3 5.3 3.7 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.3 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.7 1.7 2.7 .625 0.3 0.7 .500 0.0 0.0 -
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2018-192019-20
Team Denver NuggetsWashington Wizards
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets 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 %
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Gary Payton II 29 14.9 3.9 0.9 1.9 2.8 1.7 1.1 0.2 0.7 1.9 1.7 4.0 .414 0.4 1.6 .283 0.1 0.3 .500
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 5
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2019-202020-21
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets 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 %
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Gary Payton II 10 4.0 2.5 0.2 0.9 1.1 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.8 1.0 1.3 .769 0.2 0.4 .500 0.3 0.4 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2020-212021-22
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Gary Payton II 71 17.6 7.1 1.0 2.5 3.5 0.9 1.4 0.3 0.6 1.8 3.0 4.8 .616 0.6 1.7 .358 0.5 0.8 .603
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836
Gary Payton II 12 16.9 6.5 1.1 2.0 3.1 1.3 1.2 0.6 0.5 1.9 2.4 3.7 .659 0.7 1.3 .533 1.0 1.5 .667

Season 7
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2021-222022-23
Team Denver NuggetsPortland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf 1st RdWarriors 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 %
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Gary Payton II 22 16.7 4.6 1.1 2.0 3.1 1.4 1.0 0.2 0.7 2.0 1.9 3.1 .594 0.6 1.2 .500 0.3 0.3 .857
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848
Gary Payton II 12 15.9 6.8 1.8 1.8 3.7 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.9 1.6 3.0 4.5 .667 0.3 1.3 .267 0.5 0.8 .667

Season 8
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2022-232023-24
Team Denver NuggetsGolden State Warriors
Honors & Awards Achievement Finals MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Gary Payton II 44 15.5 5.5 1.0 1.5 2.6 1.1 0.9 0.4 0.6 1.8 2.3 4.2 .563 0.5 1.3 .364 0.3 0.5 .609
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Nikola Jokic Gary Payton II
Season 2023-24-
Team Denver Nuggets-
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets TBD-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 7 40.1 27.0 3.7 11.3 15.0 9.4 1.3 0.3 3.9 2.9 10.1 18.7 .542 1.1 4.0 .286 5.6 5.9 .951
Gary Payton II ------- --- ----------
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