NBA All-Rookie 2nd team
The second team is much harder to fill out, and these spots are definitely up for grabs, especially if some of these guys play very well down the stretch or don’t play at all. Jalen Duren is still recovering from an ankle injury for the Detroit Pistons and is now sharing time with both James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III, so there is a chance he could slip.
- Walker Kessler
- Jabari Smith Jr.
- Jalen Duren
- Tari Eason
- Jeremy Sochan
I rewarded rebounding and defense with this group, as Kessler has been a block machine this season (how’s that Gobert trade working out?), Duren has led all rookie rebounders and both Eason and Sochan have been good all-rounders who hustle and make plays on defense.
You still have guys like AJ Griffin, Malachi Branham and Mark Williams who have strong cases as well, especially if Duren doesn’t bounce back soon.
The Detroit Pistons hope to add another impact talent this offseason, so it could be the 4th year in a row that they have a player on the All-Rookie team, but let’s hope that starts translating to wins next season and not just more rookie hope.