In most cases for NBA superstars, fans can tell right away if they are going to exceed ex[ectations or crash and burn In the cases of stars like Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Wilt Chamberlain, among others, we knew right away that they were going to have long and illustrious basketball careers. In some other cases, it took a few seasons for some NBA superstars and stars to develop into the players they eventually became at their peaks and begin to carve out an all-time great legacy.
Today, the goal of this list is to break down some of the biggest names in NBA history based on their underwhelming rookie campaigns. Some of the greatest players to ever step foot on the basketball court are included here today who went on to become NBA champions and MVPs of the league and are now immortalized forever in the Basketball Hall Of Fame. Whether it was due to a lack of playing time and a minimized role or the fact that they just hadn’t developed yet, these 15 stars eventually became some of the top players at their position during their respective eras.
These are the 15 NBA stars with the worst rookie seasons in history.
15. Deron Williams
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Games Played: 80 Games (47 Game Starts)
At his very best, Deron Williams reached the point where he was in the conversation along with Chris Paul as the best point guard in the NBA during the 2000s. Things didn’t start out that way as Williams made his NBA debut with the Utah Jazz in 2005 after being selected third overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. Williams would play 80 games for the Jazz in his rookie season and make 47 starts for 28.8 minutes of playing time per game. He would average just 10.8 PPG and 4.5 APG on the season and the Jazz would finish at .500 with a 41-41 record.
Williams improved drastically by the following season and led the Jazz to the playoffs with 16.2 PPG and 9.3 APG on the year. By 2009-10, Williams was an All-Star and would be selected to the game three years in a row from 2010 thru 2012. Over that time, Williams averaged 19.8 PPG, 9.9 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 43.9% shooting from the field. He would be chosen for two ALl-NBA Second Teams in 20087 and 2010 while helping the Jazz and Nets make the NBA playoffs seven times in his prime.
14. Rajon Rondo
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 6.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Games Played: 78 Games (25 Game Starts)
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns drafted Rajon Rondo with the 21st overall pick, and was immediately traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a 2007 first-rounder. Before he was the orchestrator and floor general for an NBA championship team in 2008, Rondo had to suffer some growing pains in his rookie year. As a rookie, Rondo appeared in 78 games with 25 starts seeing 23.5 minutes of action per game. He averaged 6.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG over those 78 games.
It would not take long for Rajon Rondo to come into his own as an NBA point guard. He would be named an All-Star in his fourth season with the Celtics and would make four appearances in a row from 2010 thru 2013. Over that time, he averaged 12.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 10.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG. Rondo would win himself three assists titles in his career as well as a steals title and was selected to four All-Defensive Teams as well as one All-NBA Team in his career. Rondo played a key role in a 2008 NBA title for the Celtics as their starter and another key role off the bench in a 2020 NBA title for the Los Angeles Lakers.
13. Paul George
Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 7.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 SPG,0.4 BPG
Games Played: 61 Games (19 Game Starts)
Over the last 13 seasons, Paul George has become one of the best two-way players in basketball and one of the highest-earning players to ever play the game. Things didn’t look like they were headed that way when he made his debut with the Indiana Pacers back in 2010-11 though. George played just 61 games as a rookie with 19 starts at 20.7 minutes per game. In those 61 games, George averaged just 7.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.0 SPG for the Pacers as the team won only 37 games.
Things would change by the time 2012-13 came around for George and in a big way. George was named an All-Star for the first time in 2012-13 and eventually led the Pacers to an Eastern Conference Finals berth. He would repeat the same success the following season with the Pacers as well. From 2013 thru 2019, George earned six All-Star appearances averaging 22.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 SPG over that time. In 2019 with the Thunder, George finished Top Three in both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award voting when he led the NBA with 2.2 SPG. Overall, George has been an All-Star eight times and has earned six All-NBA Team selections as well as four All-Defensive Team selections in his career thus far.
12. Tony Parker
Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 9.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Games Played: 77 Games (72 Game Starts)
Tony Parker is an underrated star point guard who ran the offense for an NBA dynasty with the Spurs during the 2000s and 2010s. Parker was the 28th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft and was almost immediately named the starting point guard by Gregg Popovich. He would appear in 77 games with 72 starts for the team and saw 29.4 minutes of action. He would put in just 9.2 PPG and 4.3 APG for the Spurs who finished 58-24.
Just one season after making his NBA debut, Parker would help the Spurs capture an NBA championship in 2003. The team would capture three more titles with Parker as the starting point guard in 2005, 2007, and 2014. In 2007, Parker would capture a Finals MVP award in a sweep of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Spurs, Parker would be named an All-Star six times and an All-NBA Team member four times.
11. DeMar DeRozan
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 8.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Games Played: 77 Games (65 Game Starts)
DeMar DeRozan is an NBA star who has meant the world to different organizations as a fan-favorite during his career. He made his NBA debut for the Raptors in 2009-10 as their starting small forward pretty much right off the bat. As a rookie, DeRozan got 65 starts in 77 games played and saw 21.6 minutes of action on average. For the season, DeRozan averaged just 8.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and shot 49.8% mostly on two-point field goals. It was hardly a foreshadowing of what was to come later.
By 2013-14, DeRozan had reached All-Star status and had the first of many 20.0 PPG seasons of his career. As a matter of fact, he has averaged at least 20.0 PPG every year since that time and averaged 23.6 PPG on 47.1% shooting on average over that span. He has been named an All-Star six times and an All-NBA Team member three times in his 13-and-a-half-year career and has led the Raptors, Spurs, and Bulls to postseason appearances along the way.
10. Jimmy Butler
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 2.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Games Played: 42 Games (0 Game Starts)
For the past few seasons, Jimmy Butler has become a fan favorite and a two-way killer on the court. He was the 30th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and was soon thrust into their plans much earlier than anticipated. In his rookie season, however, Butler would appear in just 42 games, all off the bench for the Bulls. In those 42 games, Butler played just 8.5 minutes and averaged 2.6 PPG and 1.3 RPG for Chicago.
Just four seasons later, Jimmy Butler had transformed into a perennial All-Star who displayed some of the best perimeter defense in basketball. From 2015 thru 2020, Butler made five All-Star appearances in six seasons for the Bulls, Timberwolves, and Heat. He averaged 21.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.8 SPG over that timeframe. In 2020, Butler led the Heat on an improbable run to the NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Lakers. Overall, Butler went on to become a six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA Team selection, and a five-time All-Defensive Team selection so far in his 12 years of NBA service.
9. Reggie Miller
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 10.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Games Played: 82 Games (1 Game Start)
When Reggie Miller was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 11th pick in 1987, not many knew that he would go on to become one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. As a rookie, Miller did play all 82 games with the Pacers but made only one start seeing 22.4 minutes of action. Miller would average 10.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG during the season which would be nowhere near where he was just a few seasons later.
By his third season in the NBA, Miller was an All-Star who cracked the starting lineup for all 82 games and averaged over 24.0 PPG. He would be a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer over the next few seasons and become an All-Star four more times. Over this time, he also became one of the game’s greatest shooters ever who delivered in the clutch repeatedly and broke the hearts of fans all over the world. Miller would also earn three All-NBA Team selections in his career as well as a selection to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
8. James Harden
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Games Played: 76 Games (0 Game Starts)
James Harden is another NBA star that wasn’t always the scoring and playmaking machine we saw at his peak and who we still see today. Harden was drafted third overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and began his career as a Sixth Man off the bench. He appeared in 76 games as a rookie and saw 22.9 minutes of action per night. In his 2009 rookie season, Harden averaged just 9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG for the Thunder but would soon earn his Top Five draft selection.
In 2012, Harden was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and helped Oklahoma City reach the NBA Finals. After being traded to Houston, Harden became an All-Star and perennial MVP candidate with scoring and passing numbers rivaled by almost no one at the time. In his 10 straight All-Star appearances from 2013 thru 2022, Harden averaged 28.6 PPG and 8.1 APG for the Rockets, Nets, and Sixers. He won the MVP award in 2018 and averaged an incredible 36.1 PPG in 2019, one of his three consecutive scoring titles. Harden has also gone on to win one assists title and earn seven All-NBA Team selections.
7. Dirk Nowitzki
Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 8.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Games Played: 47 Games (24 Game Starts)
Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest international and overall players in the history of the NBA. The Mavericks finagled Nowitzki from the Bucks on the night of the 1998 NBA Draft in what ended up being one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. As a rookie, the pick looked like a dud initially with Nowitzkiplaying just 47 games in 1998-99 with only 25 starts to his name. Dirk saw an average of 20.4 minutes per night and averaged just 8.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG for the entire season.
Over the next two decades, we watched as Nowitxki redefined the power forward position. At 7’0’’ tall, Nowitzki became the ultimate offensive weapon possessing an ability to shoot the ball from anywhere and knock down difficult shots at high efficiency. Nowitzki would become an MVP in 2007 and led one of the most improbable title runs in NBA history in 2011. Nowitzki led the Mavericks to their only franchise title while taking home Finals MVP honors to cap it all off. He was an All-Star 14 times and an All-NBA Team selection 12 times including four selections to the First Team.
6. Kawhi Leonard
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Games Played: 64 Games (39 Game Starts)
Kawhi Leonard has had one of the greatest peaks in NBA history. He is widely regarded as one of the best small forwards and two-way players ever but not everyone was on board at first. Leonard made his debut with the San Antonio Spurs in 2011-12 as the 15th overall pick in that year’s NBA Draft. Leonard would appear in 64 games as a rookie and get 39 starts as well at 24 minutes per game. Kawhi would average 7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.3 SPG showing his best potential on the defensive side of the ball.
In just his third season, Kawhi would begin his ascension to the top of the NBA as a player. He was named Finals MVP of the 2014 NBA Finals for his defensive efforts on LeBron James in the series and followed this up with back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016. After a brief battle with injuries, Leonard made his way to Toronto. In one season with the team, Leonard would deliver the franchise’s first NBA championship and win Finals MVP honors. Overall, Kawhi has been an All-Star five times, an All-NBA Team selection five times, and an All-Defensive Team selection seven times.
5. Scottie Pippen
Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 7.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Games Played: 79 Games (0 Game Starts)
Scottie Pippen is another player considered among the greatest small forwards to ever play the game. Before he was one-half of the greatest duo in NBA history, Pippen was the fifth overall pick to the SuperSonic on draft night before being traded to the Bulls shortly after. As a rookie with the Bulls in 1987-88, Pippen appeared in 79 games off the bench at just over 20.0 minutes per game played. During that time, he showed his versatility slightly but averaged just 7.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.2 SPG.
Just two seasons later, Pippen had the first All-Star season of his career in 1990, a feat he would accomplish six straight seasons from 1992 thru 1997. Pippen developed into a defensive Wizard as well as a great playmaker and scorer when he needed to be. He would help Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen win six NBA championships during the 1990s and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 10 times. He earned seven All-NBA Team selections as well and was undoubtedly one of the best to ever play.
4. Gary Payton
Credit: Fadeaway World
Rookie Stats: 7.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Games Played: 82 Games (82 Game Starts)
Before he was known as one of the best perimeter defenders in NBA history, Gary Payton struggled to begin his career with the Seattle SuperSonics. Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft and ended up getting the starting job for Seattle right away. In his 82 games, Payton averaged just 7.2 PPG but dished out 6.4 APG and recorded 2.0 SPG. He was well on his way to being The Glove but not nearly what he would become.
One of the most underrated parts of his resume is his offensive game. For nine years straight from 1995 thru 2003, Payton averaged at least 19.0 PPG and 7.0 APG every season. He also added an average of 2.1 SPG during that span. Payton would win the 1996 Defensive Player of the Year, the first point guard to ever win the award at the time. Payton would win an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006 after registering nine All-Star selections, nine All-NBA Team selections, and nine All-Defensive Team selections in his career.
3. John Stockton
Credit: Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 5.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Games Played: 82 Games (1 Game Start)
Known as one of the best passers and playmakers ever, it took some time for John Stockton to get going in the NBA. Stockton played the majority of the first three seasons of his career off the bench seeing just 45 starts from 1985 thru 1986. In his rookie campaign, Stockton made five starts and 82 appearances overall for the Utah Jazz at only 18.2 minutes per game. He averaged just 5.6 PPG and 5.1 APG in his time on the court, well short of the point guard we all know him as now.
By his fourth season, Stockton was the starting point guard in Utah. He went on an insane stretch from 1989 thru 1997 that saw him average 15.7 PPG, 12.7 APG, and 2.5 SPG. He would win himself nine assists titles and two steals titles in his career as well as the all-time record in both those categories at the end of his 19-year career. Stockton earned 10 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA Team selections, and five All-Defensive Team selections in his career.
2. Kobe Bryant
Rookie Stats: 7.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Games Played: 71 Games (6 Game Starts)
When I mention the name Kobe Bryant today, what we remember is one of the game’s greatest players ever who is gone far too soon. What we forget are the struggles he had to endure as a rookie out of high school in order to earn his way en route to becoming an NBA legend. Drafted 13th overall in 1996, Kobe made his NBA debut in 1996-97 for the Lakers. He appeared in 71 games and made just six starts seeing 15.5 minutes of action per game. With limited time on the court, he averaged only 7.6 PPG and 1.9 RPG for the Lakers but as well all know, it wouldn’t remain that way.
Bryant was named the youngest All-Star ever in his following season and by 2000, it had become the norm for the young phenom. He helped Shaq and the Lakers capture three championships from 2000-2002 becoming just the second team since Bill Russell’s Celtics to three-peat. Bryant would go on to capture an MVP award and two more NBA championships later on in his career and was honored with two Finals MVP awards as well. Bryant was named an All-Star 18 times and an All-NBA Team selection 15 times. In his 20 years with the Lakers, Kobe became the historic franchise’s greatest player.
1. Steve Nash
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie Stats: 3.3 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Games Played: 65 Games (2 Game Starts)
Steve Nash is a two-time MVP who is also known as one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history. Things did not start out that way for Nash as the 15h overall pick in 1996. Nash would debut with the Suns for the 1996-97 season and get very little chance to showcase his skills. He made 65 appearances with two starts at just 10.5 minutes played per game. Nash averaged only 3.3 PPG and 2.1 APG during that time but little did everyone know what was about to happen.
It took a bit but by 2001-02, Nash earned his first All-Star selection, something he would do seven more times in his career. Nash would go on to win the MVP award in both 2005 and 2006 as he led the most potent offense in the NBA during the 2000s. Nash would win five assists titles during his career with the Suns along with anywhere from 15.0 PPG to 18.0 PPG during his peak. Although he never got himself an NBA title, Nash’s horrid rookie season and subsequent Hall Of Fame career make him number one on this list.
Source: fadeawayworld
