After leading the Sixers in scoring and ranking second among rookies in points per game, Jahlil Okafor on Thursday was named to the 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Okafor received 71 first-team and 44 second-team votes (186 points), becoming the 12th player in Sixers history to earn first-team rookie honors. He averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game (see player evaluation).
Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves and the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis were both unanimous selections for the first team, receiving all 130 votes (260 points). The first team was rounded out by the Suns' Devin Booker and the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
Okafor and Towns were the first rookies to average 17 points, 7.0 boards and 1.0 block per game since the 2001-02 season, when Pau Gasol reached those marks with the Grizzlies.
The second team features the Miami's Justise Winslow, the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, Denver’s Emmanuel Mudiay, Indiana's Myles Turner and Sacramento's Willie Cauley-Stein.
Okafor wasn’t the only Sixer recognized in the voting. Undrafted rookie T.J. McConnell received seven points (two first-team votes, three second). McConnell averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 19.8 minutes per game. He led all rookies in total steals, tied for second in games played, ranked second in total assists, assists per game and steals per game (see player evaluation).
As the Sixers hold the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, take a look at how selection order translated into All-Rookie Team voting this year:
NBA
First team
Towns: 1st
Porzingis: 4th
Booker: 13th
Nikola Jokic: 41st (2014 NBA draft)
Okafor: 3rd
Second team
Winslow: 10th
Russell: 2nd
Mudiay: 7th
Turner: 11th
Cauley-Stein: 6th
A panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters selected five players for each team regardless of position.