How about Tim Duncan who won FMVP in his rookie year, or Magic Johnson that did the same. What about MJ who led his team to the playoffs, or Melo who led his team to the playoffs. What about LeBron who more than doubled his teams wins. What about Brandon Jennings who led his team to the playoffs, or Derrick Rose who did the same. All those players did far more than Rubio could ever dream of.
Bird, Kareem, Robinson, and Chamberlain all took last place teams to winning records in their rookie seasons.
And Chamberlain was one of only two rookies to win the ROY and the MVP in his rookie season.
Meanwhile, Magic took a talented, but severely under-achieving Laker team, to not only 60 wins in his very first season, he then won the FMVP while leading that Laker team to a title.
How about Tim Duncan who won FMVP in his rookie year, or Magic Johnson that did the same. What about MJ who led his team to the playoffs, or Melo who led his team to the playoffs. What about LeBron who more than doubled his teams wins. What about Brandon Jennings who led his team to the playoffs, or Derrick Rose who did the same. All those players did far more than Rubio could ever dream of.
Duncan didn't win the FMVP until his second season. BTW, the Spurs "lucked out" when Robinson missed 76 games in the 96-97 season, and they dropped to 20-62, which allowed them to draft Duncan.
How about Tim Duncan who won FMVP in his rookie year, or Magic Johnson that did the same. What about MJ who led his team to the playoffs, or Melo who led his team to the playoffs. What about LeBron who more than doubled his teams wins. What about Brandon Jennings who led his team to the playoffs, or Derrick Rose who did the same. All those players did far more than Rubio could ever dream of.
They were tanking since midseason to help the Hornets, indeed they didn't get a 1st round draft pick since last 2 games of the season thanks to the Jazz... hmmm.
Aside of Brandon Jennings, all the comparisons people are making is with HoFamers... hmmm, I would not mind being compared to them in my rookie season.
Sure, RedAttack and other cleveland fans (Irving fans) feel the need to enter this thread and every other Rubio thread to bring us, idiotic dreamers, back to earth. As if having a very low level competition would bring more notoriety to their ROY. Irving is awesome guys, nobody is saying otherwise, the fact that the second best rookie of this season is a great player can only be considered as a proof of him being extraordinary. Now stop trying to say Rubio did not have an impact on the team. Every player, his coach and Timberwolves fans say the opposite... in half a shortened season he already had more wins than timberwolves in the previous full 82 games season... and people were talking about them having a good chance at PO, about their style, about having them among their favorite teams to watch this season... yes, the Timberwolves!!!
Russell, O'Neal, Magic, Bird, Wilt, Baylor and all the others transformed their respective teams into title contenders from the first moment. Some got to the Finals in their rookie years (Magic, Baylor, Russell) and two winning it all (Magic, Russell).
Russell, O'Neal, Magic, Bird, Wilt, Baylor and all the others transformed their respective teams into title contenders from the first moment. Some got to the Finals in their rookie years (Magic, Baylor, Russell) and two winning it all (Magic, Russell).
True. Nevertheless OP has a point - the Wolves were destroying the NBA until the Rubio ACL.
While it is true they continued their winning ways until Pek's bone spur stopped them altogether, there's a valid case that the "Win one for the Gipper" psychology can only go so far.
It felt almost like I was watching Miracle Mets there for a couple months.
Re: Has a rookie ever had this big of an impact?
