Like the two others before him, Bob Pettit won the Rookie of the Year in his first go-around in the league. In 36.9 minutes per game, he scored 20.4 points, grabbed 13.8 rebounds a game and played up to the expectations of the second overall pick.

In a 72-game season, Pettit tallied .194 win shares per 48 minutes for a total of 10.7 win shares. And contrary to a 40.7% shooting clip, Pettit was highly efficient, with a PER of 24.4 on the year.