SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield was named to the 2016-17 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the league announced today.
Selected out of Oklahoma with the sixth overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, Hield joined Sacramento in mid-February and finished the season scoring double-figures in 22 of the Kings 25 contests. The former Sooner standout accrued averages of 15.1 points (.480 FG%, .428 3pt%, .814 FT%), 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 29.1 minutes per game as a King, earning Rookie of the Month honors for games played in March. Overall, the 6’4” shooting guard registered 10.6 points (.426 FG%, .391 3pt%, .842 FT%), 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 23.0 minutes in playing all 82 contests during his rookie campaign, ranking third in scoring, fourth in 3-point and free throw percentage, eighth in field goal percentage and 11th in rebounding among all rookies.
Hield becomes the 16th player in Kings franchise history and the 11th during the Sacramento era to earn All-Rookie Team distinction, a list that includes teammate Willie Cauley-Stein (2015-16 All-Rookie Second Team).
He is joined on the All-Rookie First Team by Joel Embiid and Dario Saric (Philadelphia 76ers), Malcolm Brogdon (Milwaukee Bucks) and Willy Hernangomez (New York Knicks).
This season marks the first time since the annual honor was first presented 54 years ago that the NBA All-Rookie First Team includes four international players: Saric (Croatia), Embiid (Cameroon), Hield (Bahamas) and Hernangomez (Spain). The previous record was three international players on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Below are the voting results for the 2016-17 All Rookie First Team. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.
