The biggest challenge for NBA rookies is that they are dealing with far taller, longer and stronger men than they have ever faced on a nightly basis. On top of that, they must contend with the sheer overall intelligence of NBA veterans, who pick on rookies because they know they can early on.
But rookies learn quickly. The big question is how fast can they begin to limit their mistakes as they stop "playing the game" and start "reading the actions" -- moving the needle toward a positive impact overall, the clear goal of most rookies.