Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, the league announced today. Brogdon was a unanimous selection for the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
On Monday night, Antetokounmpo won the league's Most Improved Player award, while Brogdon was named Rookie of the Year. Read that story here.
Brogdon led rookies in assists (4.2 apg) and steals (1.12 spg) and ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (40.4) and free throw percentage (86.5). He was also third in field goal percentage (45.7) and fourth in scoring (10.2 ppg). A second round pick (36th overall) in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brogdon became one of just five rookies in NBA history to shoot 40.0 percent or better from 3-point range while averaging at least 4.0 assists per game. He recorded the first rookie triple-double in Bucks’ history when he scored 15 points with 12 assists and 11 rebounds at Chicago on Dec. 31.
Brogdon was joined by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Dario Saric on the All-Rookie First Team, along with Sacramento’s Buddy Hield and New York’s Willy Hernangomez.
Antetokounmpo, who was also named to the All-NBA Second Team in May, averaged career highs in both blocks (1.9) and steals (1.6) per game during the 2016-17 season, which ranked sixth and 11th in the NBA respectively. He also ranked fifth in total blocks (151) and ninth in total steals (131). Antetokounmpo is the sixth Buck to be named to an NBA All-Defensive team and the first since Alvin Robertson was a First Team All-Defensive Team pick in 1990-91. Tony Allen (Memphis), Danny Green (San Antonio), Anthony Davis (New Orleans) and Andre Roberson (Oklahoma City) were also Second Team All-Defensive Team selections.
Antetokounmpo and Brogdon are both finalists for awards that will be given out at the inaugural NBA Awards, which will take place tonight in New York. Antetokounmpo is a finalist for the KIA Most Improved Player Award, while Brogdon is a finalist for KIA NBA Rookie of the Year. The NBA Awards will be broadcast live on TNT beginning at 8 p.m. tonight.
