The 76ers’ Ben Simmons, Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell, Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma were locks for the All-Rookie first team.
The final seemingly up-for-grabs spot? It went to the Bulls’ Lauri Markkanen, and it wasn’t close.
Here’s the full voting for All-Rookie teams (first-team votes, second-team votes, total voting points):
First team
- Donovan Mitchell, UTA (100-0-200)
- Ben Simmons, PHI (100-0-200)
- Jayson Tatum, BOS (99-1-199)
- Kyle Kuzma, LAL (93-7-193)
- Lauri Markkanen, CHI (76-21-173)
Second team
- Dennis Smith Jr., DAL (9-78-96)
- Lonzo Ball, LAL (7-73-87)
- John Collins, ATL (5-66-76)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, SAC (6-63-75)
- Josh Jackson, PHO (1-43-45)
Others receiving votes:
- Bam Adebayo, MIA (0-44-44)
- De’Aaron Fox, SAC (0-34-34)
- O.G. Anunoby, TOR (2-21-25)
- Jarrett Allen, BRK (0-18-18)
- Dillon Brooks, MEM (1-12-14)
- Jordan Bell, GSW (0-5-5)
- Royce O’Neale, UTA (0-4-4)
- Milos Teodosic, LAC (1-1-3)
- Zach Collins, POR (0-3-3)
- Luke Kennard, DET (0-1-1)
- Frank Mason III, SAC (0-1-1)
- Malik Monk, CHA (0-1-1)
- Frank Ntilikina, NYK (0-1-1)
- Semi Ojeleye, BOS (0-1-1)
- Sindarius Thornwell, LAC (0-1-1)
The first team matches our choices.
Dennis Smith Jr. and Josh Jackson are the only selections I’d quibble with. Those two were just so destructive with shooting efficiency and defense. To be fair, they were pressed into larger roles than they were ready for on bad teams. But if the goal is picking the rookies who had the best seasons (what I aim to do), Smith and Jackson didn’t cut it.
However, some voters give more credence to long-term potential, and Smith and Jackson both have plenty of that. Other voters are drawn by bigger per-game numbers, which Smith and Jackson produced in their larger roles. So, it’s minimally surprising they made it.
That one first-team vote for Jackson, though? That’s odd – and it was enough to get him on the second team by one voting point over Heat center Bam Adebayo.
