Roses are blooming for Chicago
NEW YORK: Chicago's Derrick Rose, the top draft pick named this year's National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year, led the group of newcomers named on Thursday to the 2009 NBA All-Rookie squad.
Rose ranked second among NBA rookie scorers with 16.8 points a game and led NBA newcomers with 6.3 assists a game as well as averaging 3.9 rebounds a contest in leading the Bulls into the NBA playoffs.
Rose and Memphis standout O.J. Mayo, the NBA rookie scoring leader with 18.5 points a game, were unanimous choices for the honour squad selected by the NBA's 30 coaches, who were not allowed to vote for anyone on their own clubs.
Also voted onto the all-rookie squad were Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, New Jersey's Brook Lopez and Miami's Michael Beasley.
Westbrook averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 assists a game while Lopez averaged 13.0 points and 8.1 rebounds and Beasley averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.
The NBA rookie second team included Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Miami's Mario Chalmers, Charlotte's D.J. Augustin and Spaniards Marc Gasol of Memphis and Rudy Fernandez of Portland.
AFP
(China Daily 05/02/2009 page12)
