RealGM

How many rookie seasons have been better than Wembanyama in NBA history?

(Mikan,) Russell, Baylor, Wilt, Oscar, Kareem, Gilmore, Erving, Skywalker, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, Jordan, Robinson, Shaq, and Duncan are all easy picks for me, with all immediately qualifying among the world’s top ten basketball players — which Wembanyama is not. That leaves him in the top twenty, although if you want to penalise era more, he could easily shoot above some of those wings.

However, Wembanyama is the best rookie since Duncan and the best rookie to play in the league before turning 20 (awkwardly phased because Magic was five months older entering the league and spent the entire season at 20; if we solely looked at how Wembanyama has played since turning 20, he could well be ahead of Magic).

Keeping it to just Big men, Wilt put up 37 ppg and 27 rpg in his rookie year, Kareem put up 29 and 14.5, Shaq 23 and 14, Robinson 24, 12 and 4bpg.