Two of the five best NBA rookies this season played in the Big Apple.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mason Plumlee were named to the All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced Thursday, after both exceeded expectations in their first year in the league.
Hardaway, whom the Knicks took 24th overall, became a surprising scorer off the bench as a rookie, averaging 10.1 points and shooting 36.3 percent from 3-point range while averaging 23 minutes and playing in a team-high 81 games.
Plumlee, taken 22nd overall by the Nets, averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 70 games – including 22 starts – as he became a key member of the rotation after being expected to spend at least some of the season plying his trade in the D-League.
Plumlee finished fourth in voting with 214 points, including 95 first team votes. Hardaway Jr. finished fifth with 204 points, including 87 first team votes.
Joining them on the First Team were Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams, who was named Rookie of the Year earlier this month, Magic guard Victor Oladipo and Jazz guard Trey Burke.
Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk, Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobcats forward Cody Zeller and Thunder center Steven Adams made up the All-Rookie Second Team.
It’s the third time in four years the Knicks have landed a player on the All-Rookie First Team, including Iman Shumpert (2012) and Landry Fields (2011).
Hardaway and his father are just the third father/son combo to be named to the All-Rookie First Team (Rick and Brent Barry, Mychal and Klay Thompson were the first). Hardaway is just the 10th player drafted 24th or lower to be named to the first team in the 20 years.
Hardaway will play in the Las Vegas summer league in July upon Phil Jackson’s request. Hardaway was injured in the second game of the summer league last season, spraining his wrist and missing the rest of play.
He went on to finish fifth in the Rookie of the Year balloting, including a lone first-place vote — from TNT’s Steve Kerr, now the coach of the Warriors after spurning the Knicks.