The NBA announced the All-NBA Rookie Teams on Thursday and they were mostly unsurprising.
The first team, especially, is unsurprising. Karl-Anthony Towns was the unanimous Rookie of the Year and Kristaps Porzingis surprised everyone with a stellar first season of his own. Jahlil Okafor struggled on the defensive end but was a great scorer offensively in Philadelphia. Nikola Jokic was perhaps the most surprising rookie of all, emerging as a real contributor despite being drafted 41st overall. Devin Booker also emerged as a great player amidst injuries for the Suns, playing both guard spots and exceeding expectations.
The second team has more room for error, but it’s hard to fault any of the selections. D’Angelo Russell had an up-and-down season but showed flashes of his star potential. Myles Turner became arguably the second best player on a playoff team. Justise Winslow played elite defense in helping his Heat team to the second round of the postseason. Emmanuel Mudiay was not very efficient in his rookie season but did show his ability as both a scorer and passer. Willie Cauley-Stein was an athletic monster that helped his team on both ends of the floor.
It is difficult to have any gripes with the selections. Of course with a draft class as deep as this one, there are bound to be players who feel they have been snubbed. That said, all ten rookies select to the All-NBA Rookie teams are more than deserving of their placements.
