Which NBA media members voted for Rockets’ players in 2020-21 awards

With the NBA’s awards for the 2020-21 regular season all handed out, the league has now published the votes cast by all media members. Each honor was voted on by a panel of roughly 100 professionals, and votes were tabulated by independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

It was a lighter year than usual for the Rockets and awards, which makes sense since Houston finished the season with the league’s worst record (17-55). However, the year wasn’t entirely devoid of highlights — as shown in Jae’Sean Tate’s spot on the All-Rookie First Team and Christian Wood finishing fourth in the Most Improved Player vote.

Here’s a look at some media votes that stood out, as it pertains to the Rockets and players including Wood, Tate, and KJ Martin.

Christian Wood

• 1 vote for All-Defensive Second Team: DPA’s Max Haupt

• 10 second-place votes for Most Improved Player (MIP): NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner and Shaun Powell; ESPN’s Doris Burke; Mauricio Codocea of Clarin (Argentina); Turner’s Kevin Harlan; The Athletic’s Zach Harper and Kelly Iko; Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News; The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor; Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks

• 14 third-place votes for Most Improved Player: The Athletic’s Sam Amick; ESPN’s Jon Barry and Jackie MacMullan; Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck and Chris Mannix; Rogers Sportsnet’s Michael Grange;, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s James Owczarski; Gazzetta.it’s Simone Sandri; Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press; Guillermo Schutz of Televisa (TUDN); The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi; Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group; Olgun Uluc of ESPN Australia; and Turner’s Matt Winer

• Approximately 75% of voters did not have Wood on their MIP ballot, which only included a spot for three names

Jae’Sean Tate

• 57 votes to All-Rookie First Team, 40 to All-Rookie Second Team

• Two voters (out of 99 total) left Tate off their ballot entirely: ESPN’s Jon Barry and the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin

KJ Martin

• Three votes (out of 99 total) to All-Rookie Second Team: Reforma’s Diego Martinez; The Ringer’s Bill Simmons; ESPN’s Michael Wilbon

No other Houston player or coach received votes. Results for all of the 2020-21 awards, along with individual ballots, are available at NBA.com.

Related

Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate named to NBA's All-Rookie First Team

Christian Wood finishes fourth in NBA's Most Improved Player vote

List

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