The 2019 NBA Draft sent a good deal of talent into the NBA, most notably a pair of budding stars from the top two picks in Rookie of the Year Ja Morant in Memphis and Zion Williamson in New Orleans.
While those two made the most headlines, they certainly weren’t alone in having an impact in their first year in the NBA, and on Tuesday, the league announced the 10 rookies that earned All-Rookie team honors. Morant was a unanimous selection to the first team, while Kendrick Nunn from Miami followed closely behind with 98 first team votes, and Morant’s Grizzlies teammate Brandon Clarke at 92 first team votes.
First Team All-Rookie
Ja Morant
Kendrick Nunn
Brandon Clarke
Zion Williamson
Eric Paschall
Second Team All-Rookie
Tyler Herro
Terence Davis II
Coby White
P.J. Washington
Rui Hachimura
Herro fell just one point shy of Paschall for the fifth spot on the first-team All-Rookie, but the Heat swingman will surely settle for a second team spot and being one of two members of either All-Rookie squad (with teammate Nunn) still battling it out in the playoffs. R.J. Barrett and Matisse Thybulle were the two rookies that fell just shy of a spot on the second team, 13 and 19 points behind Hachimura respectively.
There will certainly be some debate about who should’ve ended up where — P.J. Washington, in particular, had a strong case for a first team spot — but overall the 10 players seem to be the right ones, even if the ordering has room for conversation.
