The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting NBA hiatus have thrown award season into disarray, but it’s probably safe to assume that any remaining regular season games for 2019/20 won’t affect award races too significantly. With that in mind, we asked you to vote last week on the 10 players you feel deserve All-Rookie spots for ’19/20.
We opened voting for the All-Rookie First Team last Tuesday before moving onto the Second Team on Friday. The results of all those polls are in, so let’s check them out.
- Ja Morant, G (Grizzlies)
- Zion Williamson, F (Pelicans)
- Kendrick Nunn, G (Heat)
- Tyler Herro, G (Heat)
- Brandon Clarke, F (Grizzlies)
- RJ Barrett, G/F (Knicks)
- Eric Paschall, F/C (Warriors)
- Rui Hachimura, F (Wizards)
- Coby White, G (Bulls)
- P.J. Washington, F (Hornets)
The rest of the top vote-getters in the final round of polling who didn’t quite earn spots on the All-Rookie Second Team were Cameron Johnson (Suns) and Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets), followed by Terence Davis (Raptors) and Matisse Thybulle (Sixers).
I think these results will end up being pretty close to what the actual All-Rookie teams for 2019/20 look like. In fact, it wouldn’t be a total shock if these match up exactly with the official results.
I expect Paschall and Washington to receive some First Team votes, but given the roles that Morant, Clarke, Nunn, and Herro had on playoff teams, they’re all very worthy choices. And I anticipate Williamson will make the cut too — 19 games isn’t a lot, but I think it’ll be enough for voters, especially in a shortened season.
Given my personal bias toward rookies that play important roles on playoff teams over those who rack up counting stats on lottery-bound clubs, I’d give strong consideration to Porter, Davis, and/or Thybulle for the Second Team. Their offensive numbers – especially Thybulle’s – paled in comparison to those posted by Barrett, White, and Hachimura, but the minutes they saw were more important.
Porter probably didn’t play enough overall – and wasn’t a strong enough defender – to earn one of my spots, and Thybulle’s limitations on offense hurt his case. But I’d at least make room for Davis, who had a +10.0 net rating and was the only Raptors player not to miss a game this season. Hachimura, who appeared in just 41 games and ranked 91st out of 95 power forwards in defensive real plus-minus, would likely be my odd man out.
What do you think? Do our poll results match up closely with your picks, or do you think we made some major missteps? Do you expect these results to line up pretty closely with the actual All-Rookie teams for 2019/20, or do you think the official voters will make some different choices?
how did thybull not get in?!??
Can’t score on his own + probably overrated due to role on playoff team.
Anyone who wants to see what a rookie’s stats on a winning team should be, tap on Terence Davis. One “r”.
This could motivate Thybulle to develop a 3pt set shot. Including his time on the UW Huskies, he really commits to defensive posture & anticipation, and seems to shoot with an unprepared look, fighting a body lean.
Reddish probably finished about last. He could surprise people on resumption (except BishopL)– maybe an ideal complement to Trae.
Lol…u mention bishopL…he think reddish will be great.reddish shown good performance after allstar break.but for me,he just a decent player
1) Ja / Clarke / Zion / Rui / Paschall
2) K-Nunn / Herro / RJ / PJ / Hunter
Zion showed he could have been ROY, maybe. I still like Morant. But he doesn’t deserve this. He hasn’t played enough gms. If we go 82 gms Maybe. Not with 19 gms played. I like him. But at this weight. He won’t last. He’s 6’6” maybe. His game is not built for 270 lb. Het him a nutritionist cook. Give up fry food lol. Top weight should be 250 lb.
Ja, Nunn, Herro, PJ Washington, Brandon Clarke
Davis, Reddish, Cam Johnson, Zion, Paschal
Would probably go with Thybulle if Zion didnt finish the season
It’s really unfair to tag Rui for his team’s defensive woes when he spent 95% of the season cleaning up Isaiah Thomas’ mistakes.
When IT was traded the Wizards played a full month of the season with the 11th rated defense and Rui was a big part of that.
Sorry, but there’s no way in hell you can tell me he’s not one of the 10 best rookies in this class.
The Wizards did get better defensively down the stretch but I don’t think any one player was to blame for how bad they were for most of the season — it was a group effort. Before Thomas was traded, Hachimura’s defensive rating was actually worse in minutes he played without IT (122.9) than in the ones he played with him (121.8).
Hachimura, Barrett, and White were all pretty close for me though, so I’d entertain a case to put Rui on the Second Team over one of them.
Defense IS a group effort
I’m a fan of Hacimura’s potential, especially offensively, but if you have ever seen him play, both on tv, and especially live, he is totally lost on defense at times. He has improved, but that’s not saying much when he was as bad as he was on that end. He still has a lot of work to do defensively