September 15, 2020
The National Basketball Association today announced that Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Williamson, who was selected by New Orleans with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke University, appeared in 24 games and averaged 22.5 points on .583 shooting from the floor, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Williamson ranked first among all rookies in points per game, second in rebounds per game, and first in offensive rebounds per game with 2.7. The South Carolina native joined elite company during his first NBA season, becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to post 16 20-point games within their first 20 contests, and posted the highest scoring average through his first 24 career NBA games since Jordan in 1983.
Williamson is joined on the NBA All-Rookie First Team by Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, and Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall.
Williamson becomes the fifth player in franchise history to earn All-Rookie honors and the fourth named to the First Team, joining Chris Paul (First Team 2005-06), Darren Collison (First Team 2009-10), Marcus Thornton (Second Team 2009-10) and Anthony Davis (First Team 2012-13).
The 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of Heat guard Tyler Herro, Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis II, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White, Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington and Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura.
The NBA All-Rookie Teams were selected by a global media panel. The media panel selected five players for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and five players for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at any position. Players received two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote.
The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA All-Rookie Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.
