Tag: All-Rookie Team

Chris Olave selected for PFF’s 2022 All-Rookie Team

Chris Olave has been selected for the Pro Football Focus 2022 All-Rookie Team, having outplayed both of the receivers drafted ahead of him:

Pro Football Focus released their All-Rookie Team for the 2022 season, and just one New Orleans Saints player made the cut. Wide receiver Chris Olave made an impact from his first game in black and gold, and that won him recognition on this all-star list.

The former Ohio State Buckeye finished with 72 receptions for 1,048 yards and 4 touchdown catches, trailing just behind his mentor Michael Thomas for the best first-year performance by a Saints rookie.

Not bad for the former No. 11 overall pick. Here’s what PFF’s Michael Renner wrote of Olave’s selection:

“Olave was as advertised in his rookies season. He was as pro-ready a route-runner as you’ll ever see in the draft, which bore out from Day 1. His 2.42 yards per route run led the rookie class and ranked seventh in the entire NFL — an elite number from a first-year player.”

Olave outplayed both of the receivers drafted ahead of him, outgaining Drake London in total yardage and surpassing his old college teammate Garrett Wilson in both per-catch and per-game averages. If the Saints can find him a quarterback, he’ll be on the fast track to ranking among the best receivers in the league. That’s not to say there aren’t things he can improve on. Olave noted areas of growth potential like his inconsistency on tough contested-catch passes, ball security, and missed run-after-catch opportunities. Look for him to level up in 2023.

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NFL.com predicts 2 Broncos will make league’s All-Rookie Team

The league’s official website sees good things in the future for rookies Broncos rookies Greg Dulcich and Montrell Washington.

Denver Broncos rookies Greg Dulcich and Montrell Washington are already garnering support from the league’s official website, and they haven’t played a single down yet.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter is using foresight to project this season’s All-Rookie Team. Broncos Country has no complaints with his selections.

Drafted 80th overall in the third round of this year’s NFL draft, Dulcich makes the offensive All-Rookie Team.

“The Broncos have a talented collection of wide receivers for quarterback Russell Wilson to find downfield in Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy,” Reuter wrote on NFL.com. “However, Dulcich has a chance to see a lot of snaps as either a starter or the running mate of Albert Okwuegbunam at tight end. The former Bruins star could become a safety valve and red-zone threat for Wilson.”

The Broncos love doesn’t stop there. Washington, meanwhile, makes the specialist All-Rookie Team as well. Drafted 162nd overall in the fifth round, Reuter sees Washington’s potential.

“The Broncos averaged just 16.2 yards per kickoff return (last in the NFL) and 8.2 yards per punt return (19th) in 2021. Washington’s ability to attack coverage units after fielding a kickoff (returned one for touchdown at Samford last year) or punt (four returned for TD in his career with the Bulldogs) will bring the excitement that Denver’s special teams units have sorely lacked,” Reuter wrote. “He also scored six times as a runner and nine times as a receiver in 2021.”

Time will be our judge, Mr. Reuter. For now, Broncos Country appreciates the love. We’re now less than a month away from the start of training camp. Let’s ride.

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2021-22 NBA awards voting ballot: Josh Giddey made 98 of 100 voters’ All-Rookie teams

Two out of 100 voters did not include Josh Giddey in their All-Rookie teams.

The NBA released the complete voting ballots for all awards and teams on Wednesday. The only player on the Oklahoma City Thunder roster to be selected for an award or team was guard Josh Giddey, who made the All-Rookie Second Team.

Giddey ended up collecting the seventh-most points among all rookies with 122 — 24 First Team and 74 Second Team. Out of the 100 eligible voters, it appears only two didn’t vote Giddey into a single All-Rookie spot in ESPN’s Dave Pasch and New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Scott Kushner.

In 54 games, Giddey averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 41.9 percent shooting before being forced to miss the entirety of the post-All-Star break — minus the first game — due to hip soreness. When healthy, Giddey won four of the five Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards handed out this season.

The full ballot can be found here.

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‘Sky is the limit’: Rafael Stone, Stephen Silas celebrate Jalen Green for All-Rookie First Team

In a new video from the Rockets celebrating Jalen Green’s All-Rookie First Team honor, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas explain what’s so special about him.

In a new video from the Houston Rockets celebrating Jalen Green’s All-Rookie First Team honor, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas shared their perspectives on why he’s special.

Green averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Rockets this year, and the 6-foot-6 guard got progressively better as the 2021-22 season moved along. To finish his rookie campaign in March and April, when Green won Western Conference Rookie of the Month, the 20-year-old averaged 22.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 48.4% overall and 39.5% on 3-pointers.

Green scored 20-plus points in 15 of those 22 games, including a historic streak of five straight 30-plus point games from March 28 through April 5. That was the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1971-72. He scored a career-high 41 points in the season finale versus Atlanta.

For the season, Green ranked second in rookie scoring and was 0.14 points per game shy of the lead. Green hit 157 3-pointers, tied for the fourth-most through the first 67 games by any player in NBA history.

While Green’s physical attributes and statistics are clearly impressive, Stone and Silas sound equally impressed by his mental approach. Read on for their perspectives on Green’s rookie season in Houston.

Rockets guard Jalen Green earns NBA All-Rookie First Team honors

Rockets guard Jalen Green is officially on the NBA’s 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team alongside Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, and Franz Wagner.

As expected by many (but perhaps not Bill Simmons), Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team for the 2021-22 season. The news was announced Wednesday as part of TNT’s pregame show before the Western Conference finals opener.

Green was joined on the first team by Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Orlando’s Franz Wagner, and Toronto’s Scottie Barnes — who was earlier named 2021-22 Rookie of the Year.

Of the 100-person media voting panel, Green was named to the first team on 58 ballots and to the second team by 42 voters. All 100 voters had Green on their ballots. That easily outpaced his closest competitor — Herb Jones of New Orleans — who had 32 first-team votes.

Shortly after the news broke on Wednesday night, Green tweeted a “shoutout” to Simmons as a clear nod to the recent controversy.

Green averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Rockets this season, and the 6-foot-6 guard got progressively better as the 2021-22 year moved along. To finish his rookie campaign in March and April, when Green won Western Conference Rookie of the Month, the 20-year-old averaged 22.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 48.4% overall and 39.5% on 3-pointers.

Green scored 20-plus points in 15 of those 22 games, including a historic streak of five straight 30-plus point games from March 28 through April 5. That was the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1971-72. He scored a career-high 41 points in the season finale versus Atlanta.

For the season, Green ranked second in rookie scoring and was 0.14 points per game shy of the lead. Green hit 157 3-pointers, tied for the fourth-most through the first 67 games by any player in NBA history.

In 2020-21, Jae’Sean Tate earned All-Rookie First Team honors. The previous time Houston had consecutive All-Rookie First Team selections was in 1984 and 1985 with Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon.

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Draymond Green defends Houston’s Jalen Green in Bill Simmons spat

Add Golden State star Draymond Green to the growing list of NBA voices who are speaking out against Bill Simmons’ harsh rhetoric involving Rockets rookie Jalen Green.

Add Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green to the growing list of NBA voices who are speaking out against Bill Simmons’ harsh rhetoric involving Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green.

In profane remarks on a recent podcast from The Ringer, Simmons said he did not vote Green to the 2021-22 All-Rookie first team despite his electric and historic scoring stretch to end the 2021-22 season. Furthermore, Simmons suggested that Green is not a winning player.

In an Instagram story, Golden State’s Green wrote:

How is it that this guy has a voice in deciding if Jalen Green will qualify for a super-max deal? He clearly says F Him, which sounds very personal, by the way. But he has a say in what someone earns? What work has he done in his life that qualifies him to have a say in an NBA player’s salary?

Draymond tagged the NBA at the conclusion of his remarks.

In this particular case, because the debate is over the All-Rookie team and not the All-NBA team, there are no direct salary implications. However, Green’s larger point is questioning the personal nature of Simmons’ remarks and whether that is appropriate for an NBA awards voter — particularly given the implicit endorsement that the league is giving to those awards by allowing some to be tied to player salaries.

In his comments, Simmons appeared to deem New Orleans rookie Herb Jones, who is playing in the 2022 NBA playoffs, as more of a winning player than Green. Then again, Jones joined a team with big-name veterans like Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum to carry the load and take on larger responsibilities, allowing the 23-year-old to be a specialist.

Green, on the other hand, was a 19-year-old joining a Houston squad that had the league’s worst record from the previous season — and that was before shutting down five-time All-Star guard John Wall!

In terms of a “winning” comparison: Apples, meet oranges.

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Poll: Jalen Green in strong position for NBA’s 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team

While not a done deal, early ballots tabulated by HoopsHype show encouraging numbers for Rockets star Jalen Green in the race for the 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Despite recent talk surrounding Herb Jones, early ballots tabulated by HoopsHype show encouraging numbers for Houston’s Jalen Green in the race for the final spot on the 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team. The league’s annual awards are selected by a cross-section of media voters, which historically is at about 100 voters in size.

Based on media ballots made public thus far, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, and Orlando’s Franz Wagner appear to be locks, with the fifth spot contested between Green, Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey, and Jones (New Orleans).

Based on a voting analysis by HoopsHype, which obtained 24 of the official ballots (some privately), here’s how the rookie race stands:

POLL RESULTS 

1st Team 

Cade Cunningham (100 percent)
Evan Mobley (100 percent)
Scottie Barnes (100 percent)
Franz Wagner (97.83 percent)
Jalen Green (73.91 percent)

2nd Team 

Josh Giddey (60.87 percent)
Herbert Jones (56.52 percent)
Ayo Dosunmu (43.48 percent)
Bones Hyland (41.30 percent)
Chris Duarte (28.26 percent)

Others receiving votes: Jonathan Kuminga (15.22 percent), Davion Mitchell (8.70 percent), Ziaire Williams (6.52 percent), Jalen Suggs (4.35 percent), Alperen Sengun (2.17 percent).

While certainly not a done deal, having a lead of 13 percentage points with at least 20% of the vote in is an encouraging sign for Green.

Green averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for the Rockets this season, and the 6-foot-6 guard was progressively better as the 2021-22 season moved along. To finish out the season in March and April, when Green won Western Conference Rookie of the Month, the 20-year-old averaged 22.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 48.4% overall and 39.5% on 3-pointers.

Green scored 20-plus points in 15 of those 22 games, including a historic streak of five straight 30-plus point games from March 28 through April 5. That was the second-longest streak by a rookie since 1971-72. He scored a career-high 41 points in the season finale versus Atlanta.

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OKC Thunder news: ESPN’s Zach Lowe reveals where he placed Josh Giddey in his All-Rookie teams

ESPN’s Zach Lowe revealed where he placed Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey in his All-Rookie teams voting.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe released his All-Rookie teams on Thursday in his latest article. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey is a tough nut to crack in terms of whether he deserves to make it or not. If fully healthy, he would’ve easily made the first team as he won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award every month he played.

In 54 games, Giddey averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Giddey would miss the entirety of the post-All-Star break — sans one game — due to hip soreness. Thankfully for Giddey and Thunder fans, the rookie revealed during exit interviews that his hip injury isn’t a serious one and that he should be good to go at the start of next season.

With all that said, Lowe ended up placing Giddey on his All-Rookie second team as one of the guards, with the caveat of revealing that if Giddey played more, he would’ve voted him in as one of the two first-team guards instead of either Jalen Green or Herb Jones.

“The only drama on first team was the final spot, which came down to Jones and Green. Had Giddey played more games, that spot was his.”

Even with the disappointment of only playing just two-thirds of the season, Giddey had a phenomenal rookie campaign that should excite both the team and fanbase as it how good he can develop. Especially with a refined jump shot that he plans on working this summer, if Giddey can become a respectable shooter, then the sky’s the limit for the 19-year-old.

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‘F–k Jalen Green’: Bill Simmons put on blast by Houston fans after awards remark

NBA awards voter Bill Simmons had harsh words for Jalen Green on a new podcast, and Rockets fans quickly pushed back on his flawed argument.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green went on a historic scoring streak late in his rookie season, and his head coach, Stephen Silas, is quite convinced that Green belongs on the 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team.

Whether Green actually receives that honor, however, is an open question. Based on media ballots thus far, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, and Orlando’s Franz Wagner appear to be locks, with the fifth spot contested between Green, Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey, and Herb Jones of the Pelicans.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, who actually has an NBA awards vote, went with Jones and explicitly attacked Green on his podcast.

“F–k Jalen Green,” Simmons said on the episode. “I don’t care you’re scoring 40 points and your team’s 19-60. Congratulations. Herb Jones is like guarding dudes in real games. Now, the Houston people are going to be mad at me. I’m sorry. I like winning players, I’m sorry. Jalen Green will get there, it’s just that team was 21-61 this year or whatever.”

There are a number of problems with this argument, of course. For starters, Green doesn’t have a veteran next to him in Houston anywhere near the caliber of Brandon Ingram (a recent All-Star) or CJ McCollum — and it’s not as though the Pelicans (36-46) were a “winning team,” either. Furthermore, Simmons doesn’t seem to be using that same “record” standard for rookies from the Pistons (23-59) or Magic (22-60).

As a result, Rockets fans on Twitter pushed back strongly against Simmons after Wednesday’s show went live. Scroll on for the best replies.

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The PFWA rookies of the year, all-rookie team

Check out who the top rookies in 2021 were.

The Pro Football Writers of America, the association of NFL writers across the country who cover all 32 NFL teams, have cast their votes for 2021 on-field awards.

They announced their All-NFL and all-conference teams and now have announced their overall Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team.

There are no Arizona Cardinals rookies anywhere, but who were the top rookies around the league in 2021?

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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