NEW YORK, April 27 -- Tim Duncan of San Antonio played so well and at times was so dominant, the only question is why he wasn't a unanimous choice for NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The Spurs' center garnered 113 of a possible 116 votes.
The results of a panel of sports writers and broadcasters from around the United States and Canada shows the only three votes which Duncan didn't get went to Keith Van Horn of New Jersey. The percentage of votes Duncan received (97.4) was the largest since Shaquille O'Neal got 98 percent in the 1992-93 season. The 7-foot Duncan was nothing short of awesome in his rookie season, averaging 21.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. His scoring average was a league high for rookies. He started all 82 games and ranked among the league leaders in rebounding (3rd), field goal percentage (4th), blocked shots (6th), and scoring (13th). He was first among rookies in all of those categories. Duncan, who joined Houston's Ralph Sampson (1983-84) and teammate David Robinson (1989-90) as the only players ever to win sweep Schick Rookie of the Month honors, was the only rookie to win Player of the Week honors this season and was also the only rookie to play in this year's All-Star game. He had double-doubles in 57 games, scored 20 or more points in a game 50 times, and was only the 19th rookie in league history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for a full campaign.
