The NBA announced its All-Rookie teams on Monday. San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren were unanimous first-team selections.
Joining them on the first team were Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski.
Wembanyama and Holmgren received first-place votes from all 99 voters. Miller tallied 97 first-place votes. Jaquez received 89 first-place votes. Podziemski tallied 64 first-place votes.
Wembanyama and Miller were the first two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Holmgren was the No. 2 pick in 2022. He missed the entire 2022-23 season with a foot injury and was classified as a rookie this season alongside the draft class of 2023. Jaquez, the No. 18 pick, and Podziemski, the No. 19 pick, had breakout seasons after being selected outside the lottery.
Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, who received 26 first-team votes, leads the second team. He is joined by Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson, who received 10 first-team votes. Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George received 3 first-team votes. Thunder guard Cason Wallace received 2 first-team votes. Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II received 5 first-team votes.
Scoot Henderson, the highly touted No. 3 pick in the draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, finished among the others receiving votes. He struggled from the field, shooting 38.5% in his rookie campaign.
Wembanyama added the honor to a remarkable rookie season. He also earned a unanimous vote for Rookie of the Year and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting to 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. He shot 46.5% from the field and 32.5% on 5.5 three-point attempts per game. Wembanyama met and perhaps exceeded the outsized expectations that followed him to the NBA as the most anticipated prospect since LeBron James.
Holmgren also had a remarkable rookie campaign. He would have earned strong Rookie of the Year consideration in a class that didn’t include Wembanyama. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game. He shot 37% on 4.3 three-point attempts per game. He was an integral player for a Thunder team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Holmgren also quelled concerns about his durability by playing all 82 regular season games.
Miller thrived in Charlotte after his much-debated selection over Henderson with the No. 2 pick. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He shot 37.3% on 6.7 three-point attempts per game.
Jaquez carved out a contributing role on a veteran-laden roster. He averaged 11.9 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and had 20 starts. Podziemski also made significant contributions on his team. He averaged 9.2 points per game, shot 38.5% from three, and had 28 starts.
Lively is the only player from either of the All-Rookie teams remaining in the postseason. He played a critical role in the Mavericks’ closeout win over the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. In Saturday’s Game 6 victory in Dallas, Lively tallied 12 points, 15 rebounds, and a +26 in the plus/minus column.
