10 most productive starts to an NBA career in NBA history.

[Rocketswin2013]

Judging by AGE, WS, and PER:


For single seasons; played in the NBA/BAA; in the regular season; from 1959-60 to 2013-14; age 24 or younger; qualified for Points Per Game Leaderboard; requiring Win Shares Per 48 Minutes >= .200 and Player Efficiency Rating >= 20 and Minutes Per Game >= 30; sorted by most seasons matching criteria.

The wrap goes from most WS to least.


Rk Player From To Tm Lg Count
1 LeBron James 2005 2009 CLE NBA 5
2 Tim Duncan 1999 2001 SAS NBA 3
3 Kevin Durant 2010 2013 OKC NBA 3
4 James Harden 2012 2014 TOT NBA 3
5 Marques Johnson 1979 1981 MIL NBA 3
6 Michael Jordan* 1985 1988 CHI NBA 3
7 Dirk Nowitzki 2001 2003 DAL NBA 3
8 Oscar Robertson* 1961 1963 CIN NBA 3
9 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 1971 1972 MIL NBA 2
10 Charles Barkley* 1987 1988 PHI NBA 2
Player who just missed: Walt Bellamy from 1962 to 1964.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=total&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=1960&year_max=2014&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=24&height_min=0&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=pts_per_g_req&c1stat=ws_per_48&c1comp=gt&c1val=.200&c2stat=per&c2comp=gt&c2val=20&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=mp_per_g&c4comp=gt&c4val=30&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws_per_48



Judging by seasons played:

Rk Player From To Tm Lg Count
1 Wilt Chamberlain* 1960 1964 TOT NBA 5
2 Oscar Robertson* 1961 1965 CIN NBA 5
3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 1971 1974 MIL NBA 4
4 Tim Duncan 1999 2002 SAS NBA 4
5 LeBron James 2005 2008 CLE NBA 4
6 Michael Jordan* 1985 1989 CHI NBA 4
7 David Robinson* 1990 1994 SAS NBA 4
8 Charles Barkley* 1987 1989 PHI NBA 3
9 Larry Bird* 1982 1984 BOS NBA 3
10 Walt Frazier* 1969 1972 NYK NBA 3
Player who just missed: James Harden from 2012-2014
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=total&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=1960&year_max=2014&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=5&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=pts_per_g_req&c1stat=ws_per_48&c1comp=gt&c1val=.200&c2stat=per&c2comp=gt&c2val=20&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=mp_per_g&c4comp=gt&c4val=30&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws_per_48

Anthony Davis should be on this very soon. Possibly #1. Though I doubt anybody can top LeBron's crazy production :wtf: And I'm surprised Griffin,Curry or Westrook aren't there.

[Roundball_Rock]

Kareem, hands down...

Kareem's MVP finishes in his first few seasons

3rd
1st
1st
2nd
1st
5th
1st
1st

Who else came into the league with such dominance? GOAT gonna GOAT. :bowdown:

[Rocketswin2013]

Kareem, hands down...

Kareem's MVP finishes in his first few seasons

3rd
1st
1st
2nd
1st
5th
1st
1st

Who else came into the league with such dominance? GOAT gonna GOAT. :bowdown:
Him and Wilt were probably the greatest rookies ever. But whole career-wise is Jordan.

[LAZERUSS]

Kareem, hands down...

Kareem's MVP finishes in his first few seasons

3rd
1st
1st
2nd
1st
5th
1st
1st

Who else came into the league with such dominance? GOAT gonna GOAT. :bowdown:

Wilt won ROY AND MVP in his rookie season. He also won THREE STRAIGHT MVPs in the mid-60's, and was ROBBED in both '62 and '64. He also was voted First Team All-NBA over Russell by a staggering 7-2 margin in their ten seasons in the league together (and really, Wilt was the best center in the league, and by large margin in '69, too. I can give you the numbers to prove it...he bombed Reed, Russell and Unseld in their H2H's.)

In his very first game of his NBA career, Chamberlain scored 43 points, on 17-27 FG/FGA, with 28 rebounds, and reportedly 17 blocks. And in his very LAST game of his NBA career, he pounded Reed with a 23 point, 9-16 FG/FGA, 21 rebound game. In between, no other player in the history of the game came close.

[5 rings fan]

Wilt won ROY AND MVP in his rookie season. He also won THREE STRAIGHT MVPs in the mid-60's, and was ROBBED in both '62 and '64. He also was voted First Team All-NBA over Russell by a staggering 7-2 margin in their ten seasons in the league together (and really, Wilt was the best center in the league, and by large margin in '69, too. I can give you the numbers to prove it...he bombed Reed, Russell and Unseld in their H2H's.)

In his very first game of his NBA career, Chamberlain scored 43 points, on 17-27 FG/FGA, with 28 rebounds, and reportedly 17 blocks. And in his very LAST game of his NBA career, he pounded Reed with a 23 point, 9-16 FG/FGA, 21 rebound game. In between, no other player in the history of the game came close.
No need to type whole bunch of crap
Op described it better above.
"Him and Wilt were probably the greatest rookies ever. But whole career-wise is Jordan."

[ImKobe]

Marques Johnson :bowdown:

[Mure]

Where's Kobe? Oh right he was on the bench. :lol :lol :roll: :roll:

[Ball So Harden]

I don't get the years listed. If it is "regular season" and to start their careers, why does it show LeBron's years as starting in 2005, Duncan in 1999, Durant 2010, etc. :confusedshrug:

[ImKobe]

Where's Kobe? Oh right he was on the bench. :lol :lol :roll: :roll:

Kobe actually had two seasons matching the criteria, he should be mentioned on the list.

99-00 (21 years old)
38 mpg
22.5 ppg 6.3 rpg 4.9 apg 1.6 spg 0.9 bpg on 47/32/82 shooting, 21.7 PER, .210 WS/48

2002-03 (24 years old)

42 mpg

30 ppg 6.9 rpg 5.9 apg 2.2 spg 0.8 bpg on 45/38/84 shooting, 26.2 PER, .210 WS/48

also had very good seasons in 00-01 and 01-02, but he just missed the criteria by having a .196 WS/48 in 01 and .199 WS/48 in 02...

fk off kid

[ImKobe]

I don't get the years listed. If it is "regular season" and to start their careers, why does it show LeBron's years as starting in 2005, Duncan in 1999, Durant 2010, etc. :confusedshrug:

it's up to 24 years old...those are the time periods that they matched the criteria, I'm guessing

[Ball So Harden]

it's up to 24 years old...those are the time periods that they matched the criteria, I'm guessing

But if it is under the age of 24, then it would start their rookie season, not later. Also, makes no sense to call it the start of their careers if we are counting players' 3rd years as the start.

[ImKobe]

Ok, so then the title just makes no sense. Got it.


It's a random made up criteria to prop up Lebron, nothing else.

[ImKobe]

But if it is under the age of 24, then it would start their rookie season, not later. Also, makes no sense to call it the start of their careers if we are counting players' 3rd years as the start.

I know right, but the list only includes the years they matched the criteria

it's just some random criteria made up by a Lebron stan, who probably spent all night on basketball-reference to find a way to prop him up....this list proves nothing anyways, especially with some random Marques Johnson on it :lol

EDIT: just realized this was made by a Rockets fan, so he's probably trying to prop up Harden, but I guess he's a closet bran fan as well.

[Yankstar]

Harden?
Really?

[-Lebron23-]

Wilt won ROY AND MVP in his rookie season. He also won THREE STRAIGHT MVPs in the mid-60's, and was ROBBED in both '62 and '64. He also was voted First Team All-NBA over Russell by a staggering 7-2 margin in their ten seasons in the league together (and really, Wilt was the best center in the league, and by large margin in '69, too. I can give you the numbers to prove it...he bombed Reed, Russell and Unseld in their H2H's.)

In his very first game of his NBA career, Chamberlain scored 43 points, on 17-27 FG/FGA, with 28 rebounds, and reportedly 17 blocks. And in his very LAST game of his NBA career, he pounded Reed with a 23 point, 9-16 FG/FGA, 21 rebound game. In between, no other player in the history of the game came close.
Cool stroy grandpa...

[Rocketswin2013]

But if it is under the age of 24, then it would start their rookie season, not later. Also, makes no sense to call it the start of their careers if we are counting players' 3rd years as the start.
What are you talking about? The criteria is correct.

[Rocketswin2013]

I don't get the years listed. If it is "regular season" and to start their careers, why does it show LeBron's years as starting in 2005, Duncan in 1999, Durant 2010, etc. :confusedshrug:
Because those are the first years they had alot of production.

:wtf: are you talking about?

[fpliii]

Kareem, hands down...

Kareem's MVP finishes in his first few seasons

3rd
1st
1st
2nd
1st
5th
1st
1st

Who else came into the league with such dominance? GOAT gonna GOAT. :bowdown:
Bird wasn't bad either:

4th
2nd
2nd
2nd
1st
1st
1st
3rd
2nd

[Rocketswin2013]

I know right, but the list only includes the years they matched the criteria

it's just some random criteria made up by a Lebron stan, who probably spent all night on basketball-reference to find a way to prop him up....this list proves nothing anyways, especially with some random Marques Johnson on it :lol

EDIT: just realized this was made by a Rockets fan, so he's probably trying to prop up Harden, but I guess he's a closet bran fan as well.
No. The reason Kobe isn't here is because he just wasn't productive as early as the others..


He had two seasons matching the criteria under age 24....Just two. All the other guys had 3+. The wrap goes most WS in an early career to least so you get what you get.


I also did it by season too. Kobe just wasn't great that early. :lol Kobe is a great player.. top 6-10 IMO but these are just not things he'll pop up in.

[KobesFinger]

Magic? Championship and Finals MVP his first year
Norris Cole? 2 years, 2 rings

[Rocketswin2013]

Magic? Championship and Finals MVP his first year
Norris Cole? 2 years, 2 rings
Yeha Magic comes up on both filters. Add those accompishments and you might have the GOAT start. Both seasons-wise.