The NBA announced its All-Rookie teams on Monday with San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren as unanimous first-team selections.
Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski join them on the first team.
Wembanyama and Holmgren received first-place votes from 99 voters, while Miller earned 97 first-place votes. Jáquez received 89 first-place votes and Podziemski received 64.
Wembanyama and Miller were the first two picks in the 2023 NBA draft, while Holmgren was the second pick in 2022. He missed the entire 2022-23 season with a foot injury and was classified as a rookie this season along with the draft class of 2023. Jaquez (No. 18 pick) and Podziemski (No. 19) had breakout seasons after being selected out of the lottery.
Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (26 first-team votes) leads the second team along with Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (10), Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3), guard of the Thunder, Cason Wallace (2) and the forward of the Memphis Grizzlies, GG Jackson II. (5).
Scoot Henderson, the Portland Trail Blazers’ highly touted No. 3 draft pick, finished among the other vote-getters after struggling from the field (38.5%) in his rookie campaign.
Wembanyama and Holmgren meet high expectations
Wembanyama adds to the honor with an extraordinary rookie season that also earned him a unanimous vote for Rookie of the Year and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting for Rudy Gobert.
He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and a league-best 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 32.5% on 5.5 three-point attempts per game. He met and perhaps exceeded the enormous expectations that followed him to the NBA as the most anticipated prospect since LeBron James.
Holmgren also had a notable rookie campaign that would have earned him strong Rookie of the Year consideration in a class that did not include Wembanyama. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game and shot 37% with 4.3 rebounds per game.
He was an integral player for a Thunder team that earned the number one seed in the Western Conference. He also allayed concerns about his durability by playing in all 82 regular-season games.
Miller thrived in Charlotte after his much-debated selection over Henderson with the second pick. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 37.3% on 6.7 3-point attempts per game. Jáquez (11.9 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, 20 starts) and Podziemski (9.2 points per game, 38.5% from 3-point range, 28 starts) each contributed in roles on squads loaded with veterans.
Lively is the only player from either All-Rookie team remaining in the postseason. He played a pivotal role in the Mavericks’ victory over the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals while posting 12 points, 15 rebounds and a +26 plus/minus column in Saturday’s Game 6 victory in Dallas.