| How Did Rose's Debut Stack Up? Authored by Andrew Perna - October 29, 2008 - 2:01 pm
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Not only was Chicago victorious over Milwaukee, but Rose posted 11 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in his first professional game. The No. 1 overall pick from June’s NBA Draft played 32 minutes, turning the ball over four times for a decent 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Rose didn’t shoot well from the field, going 3-for-9, but he was aggressive enough to make several trips to the charity stripe. He made five of the seven attempts from the foul line, helping him have a rather efficient night.
As successful as Rose’s first NBA game appeared to be, both in the box score and the win column, how did it stack up against the debuts of other recent first overall selections?
Let’s take a look at how the each of the No. 1 overall picks have fared since the 1990 season.
Greg Oden, 2007: We all know Rose had a better debut than Portland’s charismatic center, who missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. His first game, Tuesday night against the Lakers, wasn’t a success in the box score or on his body either.
Andrea Bargnani, 2006: ‘The Italian Stallion’ struggled in Toronto’s season opener on Nov. 1, 2006, tallying just 3 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in a loss to New Jersey.
Andrew Bogut, 2005: The Australian big man’s production rivaled Rose’s, with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in Milwaukee’s win over Philadelphia. Bogut was more efficient though, going 6-for-9 from the field.
Dwight Howard, 2004: Howard had a terrific debut for the Magic on Nov. 3, 2004, posting 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals in a victory over the Bucks. He played 38 minutes for Orlando, six more than Rose did on Tuesday night.
LeBron James, 2003: LBJ’s debut, perhaps the most anticipated in recent years, was spectacular against Sacramento in October 2003. He had 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals, but the Cavaliers lost and would go on to lose their first five games of the LeBron Era.
Yao Ming, 2002: The Houston center didn’t have a noteworthy first game, playing just eleven minutes against the Pacers. He failed to score, grabbed a pair of rebounds and was whistled for three fouls in defeat.
Kwame Brown, 2001: Kwame struggled as well, but had a better debut than Yao. Brown, then with Washington, had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks in a loss to New York.
Kenyon Martin, 2000: Martin, who was drafted by the Nets, fouled out in his professional debut, but still posted 10 points and 7 rebounds in a loss to the Cavaliers.
Elton Brand, 1999: Then with the Bulls, Brand struggled from the field, but still had 10 points and 8 rebounds in a loss to the Knicks.
Michael Olowokandi, 1998: It’s hard to imagine now, but ‘The Kandi Man’ had a very good debut for the Clippers ten years ago. He had 14 points and 6 rebounds in a very efficient performance, but L.A. lost to Phoenix.
Tim Duncan, 1997: Duncan, immediately teaming with David Robinson to form the best interior tandem in the game, was spectacular in San Antonio’s season-opening win over Denver. He had 15 points and 10 rebounds, the first of many double-doubles.
Allen Iverson, 1996: A.I. was a hit from the start, scoring 30 points on nineteen shots in his pro debut with the 76ers. Philadelphia lost to Milwaukee, but Iverson’s scoring abilities were on display from Day One.
Joe Smith, 1995: Taken by the Warriors, Smith, still a solid pro thirteen years later, was good in his first game. He had 14 points and 3 rebounds in a loss to the Rockets.
Glenn Robinson, 1994: The ‘Big Dog’ helped lead the Bucks to a win over the Lakers on Opening Night in ’94, posting 8 points and 4 rebounds. He only played thirteen minutes.
Chris Webber, 1993: Webber, fresh off his Final Four miscue, filled the stat sheet for Golden State in his first game. He had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in a loss to Houston.
Shaquille O’Neal, 1992: Shaq turned the ball over eight times, but helped lead the Magic over the Heat with 12 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks. He would post double-digit rebounds in each of his games that November.
Larry Johnson, 1991: ‘Grandmama’ lost to the Celtics in his Hornets’ debut, but he did have 14 points and 3 rebounds.
Derrick Coleman, 1990: The Nets lost to the Pacers in Coleman’s first NBA game, but he posted 11 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Surface statistics are one thing, but let’s take a closer look at how these nineteen rookies performed in their professional debuts using RealGM’s innovate FIC (floor impact counter) numbers to see just how efficient these ‘studs’ were.
Rookie FIC Scores In Their First NBA Game
1. James (’03) – 20.4
2. Iverson (’96) - 17
3. Howard (’04) – 16.3
4. Webber (’93) – 14.8
5. Bogut (’05) – 14.6
6. Coleman (’90) – 13.3
7. Duncan (’97) – 13.1
-O’Neal (’92) – 13.1
9. Rose (’08) – 11.9
10. Elton Brand (’99) – 10.25
11. Johnson (’91) – 9
12. Olowokandi (’98) – 7.6
13. Smith (’95) – 7.5
14. Kenyon Martin (’00) – 3.8
15. Brown (’01) – 3.4
16. Bargnani (’06) – 1
17. Robinson (’94) – (0.5)
18. Oden (’08) – (1.25)
19. Yao (’02) – (2.75)
As you can see, Rose falls almost smack dab in the middle of his fellow top overall picks. That bodes well for Chicago’s point guard, especially because he remained efficient despite the fact that he handled the ball more often than a majority of the bigger players that came before him.
With that said, a pro debut is just one game.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail – Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. |
