The strong rookie season of Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate wasn’t enough to land him a spot on the NBA’s Rising Stars rosters.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the league isn’t playing its usual game this year. Traditionally, it is played on All-Star weekend and is a way to recognize the game’s top rookies and second-year players. To maintain that recognition, the NBA still announced its usual U.S. and World rosters for the 2020-21 season, as if the game was still being played.
Before Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, a reporter asked Rockets head coach Stephen Silas about whether he was disappointed in Tate missing out on the honor. Silas responded:
Yeah, very disappointed. I thought he earned it. There’s only a handful of guys, there’s only so many spots. So at some level, I get it. But to me, he earned it. He’s done everything that we needed him to do. For him to just be in consideration is awesome, to come from where he was to where he is now. I’m sad, but happy.
After going undrafted in 2018, Tate is in his rookie NBA season after playing two international seasons in Europe and Australia.
A 6-foot-5 forward, Tate has already become one of Houston’s most valuable defensive players, and also one of its most intelligent. In 27.3 minutes per game, he averages 9.8 points (53.7% FG) and 5.1 rebounds, and he’s shown flashes as a secondary ball-handler and creator.
Tate has displayed the versatility to play at small forward, power forward, and even as an undersized center, and he’s also the only player on the injury-riddled Rockets to have played in every game this season.
Tate has started in 22 of Houston’s 34 games to date, which is quite an accomplishment for a rookie who entered with low expectations and is signed to a near-minimum contract for up to three seasons.
#NBAAllStar @Zionwilliamson of the @PelicansNBA and 2019-20 #KiaROY @JaMorant of the @memgrizz lead the list of 20 players selected by NBA assistant coaches for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars rosters!https://t.co/jDjVYSzHle pic.twitter.com/alUV6kktMF
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2021
