Best 'Rookie' Year of Current NBA Players

[JasonJohnHorn]

There has been a lot of people, myself including, bemoaning the utter lack of impressive rookies as of late, the primary reason being that guys don't play 3 or 4 years any more and are NBA ready when they get in the league, requiring time to develop.

Back in the day, guys HAD to play 4 years of college and entered the league when they were 23.

So with that said, which current NBA players, or players drafted since KG came out of highschool, had the best 'Rookie' season at the age of 23: the age they would have entered had the old rules been in place.


Here's a few top contenders:

LBJ's 2007/8 season 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.2 blocks
T-Mac: 2002/3: 32.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.7 steals
KD: 2011/2: 28.8 points per game, 8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks
Dwight: 2008/9: 20 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1.4 assists, 1 steal
CP3: 2008/9: 23 points, 11 assists, 2.8 steals, 5.5 rebounds,

Other notable players:
Kobe
Garnett
Duncan
Wade
Melo
DMC
James Harden
Kevin Love
Westy
Vince Carter
Dirk
Paul Pierce

EDIT: Before I hear any complaints about the poll options, I included what I thought were clearly the three best seasons (LBJ, KD and T-Mac), and also a season by what I thought was the best C/PF (Dwight) and the best PG (CP3), because I know some folks place a heavy value on rebounding and blocks (in which case nobody had a better rookie year on the list than Dwight) and others place high value on assists and steals (in which case nobody had a better year than CP3 in that regard).

There is an 'other option if you don't like the picks.

EDIT: To Chronz, you will be happy to know that despite my dislike of his playing style, I felt compelled to vote for T-Mac on this pole. That was simply an amazing, amazing season, and the fact that he was only 23 years old.... WOW!! But alas, the flame the burns twice as bright burns half as long.

[jimm120]

4 years of college is not the same thing as 1 year of college and 3 years of nba. NBA prepares much more.

The whole college issue is due to the fact that owners don't want players getting mega contracts 2 times in their playing lives. By holding players to come in at 22 or 23, players will get the chance at 1 mega contract at around 30. In this day and age, players at 27 and at 30-31 can get mega contracts, which make the 2nd contract not worth it becuase NBA players usually burn out at 33 yrs.

[jerellh528]

I don't really like the idea of this thread. It's wishy washy. 23 is soooo different for every player.

[FraziersKnicks]

I will go out on a limb and say that age 23 season from CP3 is the best statistical season a PG has ever put up.

So give me that.

[Raps18-19 Champ]

So stupid. Half of these guys might not even post the same number if their first season was 23.

[Hawkeye15]

Duncan, is a ****ing landslide. He was the last rookie that impacted the winning column

[Tony_Starks]

Doesn't translate. The athleticism and defense of the NBA is way superior, and the adjustment is still serious no matter how good you are. You can't just take a 4 year college player and assume he will put up prime all-star numbers as a rook...

[JasonJohnHorn]

So stupid. Half of these guys might not even post the same number if their first season was 23.

You see Wilt, Russell, Kareem and the Big O's numbers in their rookie seasons? Even Jordan, Hakeem, Robinson, Magic and Bird, or Shaq and Mourning (some of whom came out early).

Obviously having played in the NBA for a couple of years helps out, but when guys used to come in at the age of 23, it was not uncommon for there to be a couple of rookies on the All-Star team.

[FraziersKnicks]

Man PSD is so bad... People can't even create a thread to evoke a discussion without being attacked.

[Raps18-19 Champ]

You see Wilt, Russell, Kareem and the Big O's numbers in their rookie seasons? Even Jordan, Hakeem, Robinson, Magic and Bird, or Shaq and Mourning (some of whom came out early).

Obviously having played in the NBA for a couple of years helps out, but when guys used to come in at the age of 23, it was not uncommon for there to be a couple of rookies on the All-Star team.

I never said it wasn't and they wouldn't be. But you can't just take their season at 23 and expect them to post those numbers.

[JasonJohnHorn]

I never said it wasn't and they wouldn't be. But you can't just take their season at 23 and expect them to post those numbers.

I agree 100% that having NBA experience prior to the age of 23 would improve their production in most situations as they have time to acclimate their game to the NBA.

But at the same time, a number of people have come into the NBA and posted numbers that could win an MVP award at the age of 23, and i each of these instances, had the players spent 4 years in college, they would have certainly out up number that are comparable.

Also, NBA vets that have seen a guy play for 3 or 4 years can adjust to and plan for their game, so they have the distinct disadvantage of having officials and players know what to look for when they are playing.


Also, given that we are comparing people in the same generation with the same variable, there isn't much difference between comparing Kobe's 23rd year to Dwights, to LBJ's to T-Mac's to CP3's to KD's. I would agree that this would be an issue is we compared these same players to a 23rd rookie in the 1970's when the rule was in place that you couldn't enter the league until that age, but since we are comparing players from the same sample group, that is not an issue.


Besides, it we did compare the individual seasons of these guys at 23 to Wilt, Russell, The Big O and Kareem, they'd all get blown out of the water.

Fair point though. I appreciate you taking to to respond and offer your thoughts in a constructive way.

[Chronz]

Lol at people chiming in on everything except the actual discussion.

News flash, you guys don't know either, staying in College could be good or bad so let's drop any assumption other than what the thread asks.

That said, gimme Tmac. I think he could have used the mental and physical maturity that college would have provided.

[Jamiecballer]

The premise of the thread is ridiculous because 4 years of college is nothing like 1 year of college and 3 pro, etc

[Chronz]

The premise of the thread is ridiculous because 4 years of college is nothing like 1 year of college and 3 pro, etc

Thats a ridiculous point because you have no idea of how its different, it can be both good or bad. So lets focus on the actual premise instead of the unknown