With the first quarter of the NBA season behind us, a number of rookies are busy making a name for themselves in the world's top basketball league.

While many newcomers take a while to step up from college ball and develop into solid senior-level players, some make the leap with surprising ease  - and it's not always the ones you'd expect to be such a success.

Here’s the best of a group of first-timers seeking to follow in the footsteps of past Rookies of the Year such as Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neale, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. FULL POST