Michael Cooper vs Jerry West
Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Jerry West (1960-1973) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 5 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Jerry West was the higher-volume scorer (27.0 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 2.34× their league average respectively; Jerry West was the more efficient scorer (55.0% true shooting to 54.3%). Jerry West holds the edge on accolades — 1 championship, 1 Finals MVP and the #23 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.
Career averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 3.2 | Rebounds / game | 5.8 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 6.7 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.1 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.8% | Field goal % | 47.4% |
| 29.1% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 83.2% | Free throw % | 81.4% |
| 54.3% | True shooting % | 55.0% |
| 873 | Games played | 932 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 0.84× | Points vs era avg | 2.34× |
| 0.75× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.99× |
| 1.67× | Assists vs era avg | 2.97× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Jerry West's era.
Playoff averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | Points / game | 29.1 |
| 3.4 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 4.2 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 1.2 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 0.6 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 46.1% | Field goal % | 46.6% |
| 32.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 77.6% | Free throw % | 79.1% |
| 168 | Playoff games | 153 |
Accolades
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 5 | Championships | 1 |
| 0 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 0 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #65 | All-time GOAT rank | #23 |
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