2020-21 All-Rookie NBA Teams

The 2020 draft class was often considered lacking in high-level talent but stacked with suitable role players. As they embark on their rookie year now is the perfect time to lineup who may be selected for the All-Rookie honors at the end of the year.

All-Rookie First Team

LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets)

LaMelo Ball has All-Rookie honors written all over him, with the perfect combination of highlight-reel plays and extensive PR. While his first year may end up being more entertaining than efficient, he’ll dish out enough improbable dimes and sink enough crazy shots to garner big-time attention.

Ball may end up filling the Sixth Man role for Charlotte rather than start. Still, he’s a lock for our All-Rookie First Team.

James Wiseman (Golden State Warriors)

The Warriors front office has lauded James Wiseman pretty loudly already this season, and unless this is an attempt to boost his trade value, it is fair to expect that the former Memphis Tiger may be the real deal.

With the Warriors being fairly thin at the five, we can expect Wiseman to get consistent minutes particularly with the health concerns of Kevon Looney. Wiseman will log his fair share of eye-catching stats as a rollman and rim protector in the Bay. And if the Warriors slip out of the playoff hunt, we may see Wiseman’s minutes boosted in an attempt to speed up his development.

Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings)

Tyrese Haliburton was the consensus steal on Draft night, and so far he has delivered. Throughout the preseason he showed the high-level basketball IQ that he demonstrated at Iowa State.

With Bogdan Bogdanovic now in Atlanta, Haliburton could earn a big role with the Kings. Keep an eye on Buddy Hield trade chatter - Haliburton could quickly become the man in Sacramento.

Bol Bol (Denver Nuggets)

If Bol Bol gets minutes for the contending Denver Nuggets then there is minimal doubt he will make an All-Rookie team. With Mason Plumlee’s hook shot up in Detroit, the era of the Bol Bol three-pointer could begin in Denver.

Bol can block shots and shoot like a guard. If he can hang on the defensive end, his charisma and reputation should help him here.

Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Should I have learned a lesson last year when Mattise Thybulle missed out on an All-Rookie spot last year? Probably. And yet I can't help but put at least one defensive-minded guy on this ballot.

Okoro will likely be the best defender on the starting lineup in Cleveland and while that is a bar so low Stan Van Gundy’s vertical could clear it, I still think that Okoro will give the NBA’s best wings a run for their money with his instincts and frame.

This selection is somewhat contingent on buying into Okoro’s improved offensive game and those in the Land can only hope that the young wing can contribute enough on from deep to stay in the game.

All-Rookie Second Team

Obi Toppin (New York Knicks)

Obi Toppin has thus far been as good as advertised; on the offensive side of the pick and roll he looks like Amare Stoudamire, and on the defensive side he looks like Enes Kanter. Provided Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't get frustrated with otherwise expected rookie growing pains, I think Toppin will put up the kind of offensive season that will garner the attention of All-Rookie voters.

While Toppin’s shooting percentages are concerning, it is fair to say that on a bonafide lottery team like the Knicks he will have plenty of opportunities to grow.

Aaron Nesmith (Boston Celtics)

One thing that usually translates from college to the pros is high-level shooting, and Aaron Nesmith was born to shoot a basketball. With the Celtics’ thin wing rotation, Nesmith may be pushed into a bigger role, as he has positional size and provides good spacing.

Head coach Brad Stevens won’t hesitate to pull the former Vanderbilt wing if he has defensive lapses ,but providing he remains competent on that side of the ball I can see him having a very efficient year playing alongside the Celtics’ young stars.

Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder)

My instincts tell me the young Serbian will not be a player who contributes to winning in his first year in the league, but as a seven-footer who shoots threes and will get minutes, I like him for a second-team spot.

In the pre-season he made 35% of his long-range shots and led the Thunder in rebounds at 9.3 per game. Combine this with his penchant for flashy playmaking and being able to use his 7’5” wingspan to block shots. I can see the league falling in love with his potential enough for this selection.

Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Speaking of Thunder players who will get lots of chances on a lottery team it is difficult to ignore what we saw from Theo Maledon in the preseason. Coming into the draft he was in Killian Hayes’ shadow to a certain extent being regarded as the ‘second-best french point guard in the draft’ but at first glance, Maledon certainly looks more likely to carry on Tony Parker’s legacy than Kayes.

Maledon put up 16 points a game on good efficiency in preseason and may very well start alongside SGA in OKC giving him a very chance to be selected for higher honors.

Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic)

The biggest knock on the former high school prodigy at UNC was his lack of efficiency and yet it was frequently overlooked that he played on a college team with very little high-level talent and even less spacing. So far in the preseason with him surrounded by NBA level players Anthony has looked fantastic shooting 48 percent from the floor and a scorching 37 percent from three. Given it is just him and Markelle Fultz in the Magic’s guard rotation we can expect a strong rookie performance from Anthony.