NBA History: 5 Greatest rookie seasons since 2000
Every year, the NBA welcomes a class of new players. The NBA holds a draft, where a particular team drafts young prospects. Once the player is selected, they start the next chapter in their journey which is the rookie season.
Throughout the years, some of the NBA's greatest players entered the league through their respective drafts. For example, Michael Jordan was the third pick of the 1984 draft. Jordan went on to win Rookie of the Year in the 1984-85 season and went on to become one of the NBA's greatest players. Jordan's journey started with his incredible rookie season.
There are several players before and after Jordan that had great rookie seasons and careers. Oscar Robertson nearly averaged a triple-double in his rookie career with 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists.
Wilt Chamberlain won MVP and Rookie of the Year simultaneously as he averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds. Another example is Magic Johnson. Despite not winning Rookie of the Year (the award went to Larry Bird), Johnson became the first rookie to win Finals MVP. All of these players and more had great rookie seasons, which led to excellent careers.
Since then, the NBA has had other groups of talent to enter the league. Players like Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, and Tim Duncan had excellent rookie seasons. These players were drafted throughout the 90s and reached the prime of their careers around the early 2000s.
While these players were established veterans, younger players began to enter the league. Lottery teams drafted these players, and they instantly made an impact on their respective teams. One of the biggest stars in today's game was selected by his hometown team and started an illustrious career in 2003. However, there have been other players who have had great rookie seasons and contributed to their teams. Here are five of the greatest rookie seasons since the year 2000.
#5 Tyreke Evans
Admittedly, this spot was a tough choice. This spot could have gone to any player that had a tremendous rookie season and went on to a solid career. This could have gone to players (and Rookie of the Year winners) such as Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving, but went to someone else. It went to a player who is currently suspended from the NBA.
While he is suspended from the NBA and has not had a season like his rookie one, we cannot deny his efforts during his first bow in the league. So, this spot goes to Tyreke Evans.
Evans was the fourth pick of the 2009 NBA draft. The Sacramento Kings drafted the guard/forward, and he instantly contributed.
In his rookie season, Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals Evans won multiple Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards that season and won Rookie/Sophomore Game MVP. He had 26 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals in that game, as he shared the award with DeJuan Blair. Blair had 22 points and 23 rebounds, and Evans decided to share the award with him.
At the end of the season, Evans became the fourth player in history to average 20-5-5 in his rookie season. This means he averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He joined the ranks of Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James with this accomplishment.
Evans played well in his rookie season and became 2010 Rookie of the Year. He also was named to NBA All-Rookie First Team. He played well and looked like a player with a bright future.
Evans has not played like this since his rookie season. While he has had moments, it was not up to par with his 2009-10 season. Evans may not be a future Hall-of-Famer like some of the players mentioned, but his rookie season was something special.