The NBA announced the 2018 NBA All-Rookie First and Second Teams, but the lists did not include the Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks.
Some of the first postseason awards were released by the NBA on Tuesday. The league announced the top vote-getters for the two All-Rookie teams.
The recipients were as follows:
NBA All-Rookie First Team:
- Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
- Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team:
- Dennis Smith, Jr. (Dallas Mavericks)
- Lonzo Ball (Los Angeles Lakers)
- John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (Sacramento Kings)
- Josh Jackson (Phoenix Suns)
The league forgot all about Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies. The remarkable second round pick — 45th overall — came in 15th in the final voting standings amongst all other rookies.
That may be good, but Dillon was much more deserving of greater credit. Amongst his first-year peers (minimum of five games played), the former Oregon Duck ranked 1st in games played (82/82), 8th in minutes played per game (28.7), and 10th in points scored per game (11.0). Not too shabby. Again, the 45th pick was an absolute steal in a Draft Night deal completed by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Dillon Brooks tweeted a reaction shortly after today’s news broke. To say the least, he was not pleased with the lack of acknowledgement.
Wow...
— Dillon Brooks (@dillonbrooks24) May 22, 2018
Followed by…
Duly noted..
— Dillon Brooks (@dillonbrooks24) May 22, 2018
He shares the same reaction as all of Grizz Nation. Brooks played in every game, averaged double-figure scoring, played the fourth-best defense LeBron James saw all regular season, and still only managed to snag a single First Team vote and just 14 Second Team votes. It is beyond ridiculous.
Perhaps Dillon was overlooked because of the Memphis Grizzlies being a small market team with a poor team record. If the voters largely considered the franchise’s performance in comparison to playoff-bound rookies, the results are understandable. Nonetheless, the award is not to be based off of winning, but rather impact made by the rookies on their respective clubs. Regardless, Grizz fans still demand a recount.
Brooks getting snubbed does speak volumes for how deeply talented this particular rookie class has quickly become. However, you could make an argument for Brooks against any of the Second Team members. He was as important to Memphis as any Second Team member was to their respective team.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ rook was slighted today, but it should surely light a fire for him heading into his sophomore season. Dillon Brooks’ tweets hint that he will be ready to take it to the next level in 2018-19.
Go Grizz!