Indiana Pacers: Is Chris Duarte a lock for the NBA All-Rookie Team?

While the Indiana Pacers have completely tottered this season, missing the postseason outright for the second consecutive season, there have still been some silver linings to gleam on as they head to an eventful offseason. One of those is the play of rookie Chris Duarte, who has been just as good, if not better than advertised.

Finishing the season with averages of 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 43.2 percent shooting overall, including 36.9 percent on threes, the 24-year-old has firmly cemented himself as one of the Pacers’ core players and should continue being a featured option for the team in the foreseeable future.

That being said, with his draft class proving to be a deep cast of talented rookies who have immediately made significant contributions to their respective clubs, will Duarte be rewarded with an NBA All-Rookie team nod?

Chris Duarte has logged an impressive debut season for the Indiana Pacers. Is he a lock to be in the NBA All-Rookie Team?

Despite Chris Duarte’s impressive season, you can already count him out of running for Rookie of the Year, though he certainly made an early case for the hardware early in the season.

That leaves Duarte on deck for an All-Rookie Team spot. While he has been deployed largely as an undersized small forward for the bulk of the season, voters would undoubtedly qualify him as a backcourt player, leaving him cramped up between a deep pool of equally deserving rookie guards.

The first two picks in the last draft, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, are virtual locks to nab the backcourt slots in the First Team. With just two more remaining, the Second Team spots could be  hotly contested ones between Duarte, Jalen Suggs, Davion Mitchell, Bones Hyland, Tre Mann, and if the voters count him as a guard, Josh Giddey (though he has played small forward for most of the season for OKC).

Suggs has been given the keys to Orlando’s offense, but despite a late season mini-surge, his sheer inefficiency in his first season could keep him from securing an All-Rookie Team bag. Duarte’s fiercest competitor in this regard is Mitchell, whose pesky defense has translated well to the NBA and whose offense has been far better than expected.

Meanwhile, Hyland and Mann, both electric scorers, have already asserted themselves as sparkplug options off the bench for the Nuggets and the Thunder, respectively.

Still, while there is more competition and perhaps, slight doubt regarding his firm grip on an All-Rookie Team nod, Chris Duarte should occupy one of the slots, giving the Pacers some needed representation after a uniquely frustrating campaign.

Chris Duarte has been far from perfect in his rookie campaign, but his potential as a lethal offensive weapon is undeniable. With a bigger role and more experience, the Indiana Pacers should have an exciting pillar for the future with him in the picture.