Bucks' Brogdon named 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year
It only took one season for Malcolm Brogdon to make history. “The Prez” was named the NBA’s 2016-17 Rookie of the Year on Monday night, becoming the lowest draft pick to win the award in 60 years.
Brogdon -- selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Bucks -- averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in his rookie campaign.
The 24-year-old quickly developed into a reliable player off Jason Kidd’s bench. His consistent play and calm demeanor on the floor paved the way to a dramatic increase in minutes -- from just over 20 minutes per game in the first month of the season to over 30 MPG in the Bucks’ 4-2 playoff-series loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Brogdon led all rookies in assists and steals per game, and ranked second in 3-point field goal percentage (40.4), second in free throw percentage (86.5), third in overall field goal percentage (45.7) and fourth in scoring.
In classic Brogdon fashion, he thanked just about every person under the sun during his acceptance speech.
Malcolm Brogdon (@Bucks) takes home the 2017 @Kia #NBA Rookie of the Year award! pic.twitter.com/fi0j6KJwZm
— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2017
He beat out Joel Embiid and Dario Saric of the Philadelphia 76ers to become the second Milwaukee Bucks rookie to win the award, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won it in 1970. Bob Pettit of the Milwaukee Hawks was named Rookie of the Year in 1955.
And Brogdon's teammates approved.
My Boy #prez with the #ROTY well deserved #NBAAwards
— Thon Maker ™ (@ThonMaker14) June 27, 2017
Well deserved The prez #NBAAwards2017 #roy
— Jason Terry (@jasonterry31) June 27, 2017
Woody Sauldsberry won the Rookie of the Year in 1957-58 after averaging 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the Philadelphia Warriors. Sauldsberry was selected as the fifth pick in Round 8 (60th overall) in the 1957 NBA Draft.
Brogdon halts a two-year streak of Minnesota Timberwolves winning the award, as Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns won it back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016.