AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Knight has been named to the 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today. He becomes the first Pistons’ rookie since Grant Hill (1994-95) to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
“It’s an honor to make the NBA All-Rookie First Team as there were definitely a lot of good rookies this season who played big roles for their teams,” Knight said. “My focus remains on continuing to get better and improve as a player while helping our team win games and reach our goals.”
Joining Knight on the First Team are 2011-12 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, Kyrie Irving, of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio, Denver’s Kenneth Faried, Golden State’s Klay Thompson, New York’s Iman Shumpert and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard.
The eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Knight played in all 66 games (60 starts) and averaged 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.7 steals in 32.3 minutes per game. He finished the season second among rookies in scoring, fourth in assists, tied for 11th in rebounds and tied for seventh in steals. Knight made a Pistons’ rookie record 105 three-pointers and was one of only two rookies (Thompson) to make 100 or more threes. His 847 points were the second-most by a Pistons’ rookie since the 1985-86 season and his 12.8 points per game was the fourth highest average by a Pistons’ rookie since the 1980-81 season.
Knight, a 6-foot-3 guard from the University of Kentucky, finished eighth in the 2011-12 Kia NBA Rookie-of-the-Year balloting and was selected as a member of Team Shaq as part of the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star 2012 in Orlando where he tallied 22 points, two rebounds, seven assists and one steal.
The NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of Houston’s Chandler Parsons (33 points), Sacramento’s Isaiah Thomas (27 points), New Jersey’s MarShon Brooks (18 points), Minnesota’s Derrick Williams (16 points) and Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson (16 points).
The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select five players for the first team and five players for the second team, regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Two points were awarded for first team votes and one for second team votes.
Attached are the results of the balloting for the 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie teams. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.
2011-12 NBA ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
2011-12 NBA ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM
Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first place votes in parentheses):
Markieff Morris, Phoenix, 7 (1); Kemba Walker, Charlotte 7; Alec Burks, Utah 2; Norris Cole, Miami 2; Bismack Biyombo, Charlotte 2; Enes Kanter, Utah 1; Greg Stiemsma, Boston 1; Gustavo Ayon, New Orleans 1; Nikola Vucevic, Philadelphia 1.
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