Wilt Chamberlain has the best PER by a rookie, with a 28.2 rating in 1959-60.

nba player efficiency rating leaders rookies all-time

Interpreted as:

NBA player efficiency rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games leaders rookies all-time

NAME	PER	SEASON	TM	GP	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	+/-
Wilt Chamberlain	28.2	1959-60	PHI	72	46.4	37.6	27.0	2.3				14.8	32.1	46.1				8.0	13.8	58.2	3,338	2,707	1,941	168				150
Walt Bellamy	26.6	1961-62	CHI	79	42.3	31.6	19.0	2.7				12.3	23.7	51.9				6.9	10.8	64.4	3,344	2,495	1,500	210				281
David Robinson	26.3	1989-90	SAS	82	36.6	24.3	12.0	2.0	1.7	3.9	3.1	8.4	15.9	53.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	7.5	10.2	73.2	3,002	1,993	983	164	138	319	257	259
Oscar Robertson	25.9	1960-61	CIN	71	42.7	30.5	10.1	9.7				10.6	22.5	47.3				9.2	11.2	82.2	3,032	2,165	716	690				219
Michael Jordan	25.8	1984-85	CHI	82	38.3	28.2	6.5	5.9	2.4	0.8	3.5	10.2	19.8	51.5	0.1	0.6	17.3	7.7	9.1	84.5	3,144	2,313	534	481	196	69	291	285
Bob Pettit	24.9	1954-55	MIL	72	36.9	20.4	13.8	3.2				7.2	17.8	40.7				5.9	7.9	75.1	2,659	1,466	994	229				258
Elgin Baylor	23.6	1958-59	MIN	70	40.8	24.9	15.0	4.1				8.6	21.2	40.8				7.6	9.8	77.7	2,855	1,742	1,050	287				270
Ray Felix	23.1	1953-54	BAL	72	37.1	17.6	13.3	1.1				5.7	13.7	41.7				6.2	9.8	63.8	2,672	1,269	958	82				253
Victor Wembanyama	23.1	2023-24	SAS	71	29.7	21.4	10.6	3.9	1.2	3.6	3.7	7.8	16.7	46.5	1.8	5.5	32.5	4.1	5.2	79.6	2,106	1,522	755	274	88	254	260	153	-142
Shaquille O'Neal	22.9	1992-93	ORL	81	37.9	23.4	13.9	1.9	0.7	3.5	3.8	9.0	16.1	56.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.3	8.9	59.2	3,071	1,893	1,122	152	60	286	307	321
Terry Cummings	22.8	1982-83	SDC	70	36.2	23.7	10.6	2.5	1.8	0.9	2.9	9.8	18.7	52.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.2	5.9	70.9	2,531	1,660	744	177	129	62	204	294
Tim Duncan	22.6	1997-98	SAS	82	39.1	21.1	11.9	2.7	0.7	2.5	3.4	8.6	15.7	54.9	0.0	0.1	0.0	3.9	5.9	66.2	3,204	1,731	977	224	55	206	279	254	+429
Karl-Anthony Towns	22.5	2015-16	MIN	82	32.0	18.3	10.5	2.0	0.7	1.7	2.2	7.6	14.1	54.2	0.4	1.1	34.1	2.7	3.4	81.1	2,627	1,503	858	161	58	138	183	245	-131
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	22.5	1969-70	MIL	82	43.1	28.8	14.5	4.1				11.4	22.1	51.8				5.9	9.1	65.3	3,534	2,361	1,190	337				283
Maurice Stokes	22.1	1955-56	ROC	67	34.7	16.8	16.3	4.9				6.0	17.0	35.4				4.8	6.7	71.4	2,323	1,125	1,094	328				276
Walter Davis	22.1	1977-78	PHX	81	32.0	24.2	6.0	3.4	1.4	0.2	3.5	9.7	18.4	52.6				4.8	5.8	83.0	2,590	1,959	484	273	113	20	283	242
Chris Paul	22.1	2005-06	NOK	78	36.0	16.1	5.1	7.8	2.2	0.1	2.3	5.2	12.1	43.0	0.6	2.3	28.2	5.1	6.0	84.7	2,808	1,258	400	611	175	6	183	218	-181
Blake Griffin	21.9	2010-11	LAC	82	38.0	22.5	12.1	3.8	0.8	0.5	2.7	8.5	16.8	50.6	0.1	0.3	29.2	5.4	8.5	64.2	3,112	1,845	989	312	63	45	223	252	-146
Alvan Adams	21.7	1975-76	PHX	80	33.2	19.0	9.1	5.6	1.5	1.5		7.9	16.8	46.9				3.3	4.4	73.5	2,656	1,519	727	450	121	116		274
Chris Webber	21.7	1993-94	GSW	76	32.1	17.5	9.1	3.6	1.2	2.2	2.7	7.5	13.6	55.2	0.0	0.2	0.0	2.5	4.7	53.2	2,438	1,333	694	272	93	164	206	247
John Drew	21.4	1974-75	ATL	78	29.3	18.5	10.7	1.8	1.5	0.5		6.8	15.8	42.8				5.0	7.0	71.3	2,289	1,442	836	138	119	39		274
Marques Johnson	21.3	1977-78	MIL	80	34.6	19.5	10.6	2.4	1.2	1.3	2.2	7.9	15.1	52.2				3.8	5.1	73.6	2,765	1,557	847	190	92	103	175	221
Hakeem Olajuwon	21.1	1984-85	HOU	82	35.5	20.6	11.9	1.4	1.2	2.7	2.9	8.3	15.3	53.8	0.0	0.0		4.1	6.7	61.3	2,914	1,692	974	111	99	220	234	344
Alonzo Mourning	20.8	1992-93	CHA	78	33.9	21.0	10.3	1.0	0.3	3.5	3.0	7.3	14.3	51.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	6.3	8.1	78.1	2,644	1,639	805	76	27	271	236	286
Terry Dischinger	20.8	1962-63	CHI	57	40.2	25.5	8.0	3.1				9.2	18.0	51.2				7.1	9.2	77.0	2,294	1,452	458	175				188