ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

All-Defensive First Team

C- Dwight Howard [ 2 time DPOY ]
F- Gerald Wallace [1st time on all-first team ]
F- LeBron James [ 2nd straight year on all-first team ]
G- Kobe Bryant [ 5th straight time on all-first team]
G- Rajon Rondo [ 1st time on all-first team ]

All-Defensive Second Team

C- Tim Duncan
F- Anderson Verajao
F- Josh Smith
G- Dwyane Wade
G- Thabo Sefolosha

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses):

Jason Kidd, Dallas, 12 (4);
Marcus Camby, Portland, 12 (1);
Ron Artest, 11 (3);
Deron Williams, Utah, 10, (2);
Kirk Hinrich, Chicago, 9 (1);
Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee, 8;
Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee, 8 (1);
Arron Afflalo, Denver, 6 (1);
Kenyon Martin, Denver, 5 (1);
Kevin Garnett, Boston, 5 (1);
Grant Hill, Phoenix, 4 (2);
Joakim Noah, Chicago, 4;
Kendrick Perkins, Boston, 4 (1);
Shane Battier, Houston, 4 (1);
Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, 3 (1);
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, 3;
Trevor Ariza, Houston, 3 (1);
Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 2;
George Hill, San Antonio, 2 (1);
Jermaine ONeal, Miami, 2 (1);
Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 2 (1);
Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers, 2 (1);
Luis Scola, Houston, 2;
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 2 (1);
Nicolas Batum, Portland, 2;

Not that good but not that bad either....

Uh; I would put Josh Smith on the first team and completely remove Lebron and Kobe from first team...
And I would consider Bogut or Afflalo instead...

This year, I heard people talking about Josh smith as DPOY, Howard as DPOY, sefolosha as DPOY, verajao as DPOY, rondo as dpoy, and Gearld wallace as DPOY

3 of those guys aren't even on the first team.

I also heard someone say LeBron.. but that was one time it came up, so that doesnt count.

but on ESPN.com and nba.com, I saw the people I listed as possible DPOY winners

oh and I saw Ron artest mentoned a few times

I can't believe I'm saying this, but does Kobe really deserve to be on the first team...? I would personally put Artest on the 1st team instead of Kobe, if anyone from the Lakers should be on there.

And I agree about Afflalo, SRF! Gotta pull for my UCLA boys!

Bogut too Jaleesa! I forgot about him..

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses):

Jason Kidd, Dallas, 12 (4); Marcus Camby, Portland, 12 (1); Ron Artest, 11 (3); Deron Williams, Utah, 10, (2); Kirk Hinrich, Chicago, 9 (1); Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee, 8; Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee, 8 (1); Arron Afflalo, Denver, 6 (1); Kenyon Martin, Denver, 5 (1); Kevin Garnett, Boston, 5 (1); Grant Hill, Phoenix, 4 (2); Joakim Noah, Chicago, 4; Kendrick Perkins, Boston, 4 (1); Shane Battier, Houston, 4 (1); Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, 3 (1); Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, 3; Trevor Ariza, Houston, 3 (1); Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 2; George Hill, San Antonio, 2 (1); Jermaine ONeal, Miami, 2 (1); Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 2 (1); Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers, 2 (1); Luis Scola, Houston, 2; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 2 (1); Nicolas Batum, Portland, 2; Caron Butler, Dallas, 1; Chauncey Billups, Denver, 1; Jared Dudley, Phoenix, 1; Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City, 1; Raymond Felton, Charlotte, 1; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 1; Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers, 1; Chuck Hayes, Houston, 1; Brendan Haywood, Dallas, 1; Al Horford, Atlanta, 1; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 1; Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee, 1; Stephen Jackson, Charlotte, 1; Nene, Denver, 1; Chris Paul, New Orleans, 1; Tayshaun Prince, Detroit, 1; Earl Watson, Indiana, 1.

Nenadidas wrote:

This year, I heard people talking about Josh smith as DPOY, Howard as DPOY, sefolosha as DPOY, verajao as DPOY, rondo as dpoy, and Gearld wallace as DPOY

3 of those guys aren't even on the first team.

I also heard someone say LeBron.. but that was one time it came up, so that doesnt count.

but on ESPN.com and nba.com, I saw the people I listed as possible DPOY winners

Yeah, I know eh?!
I cannot take this list completely serious tbh.

and lol @ Williams/Paul getting votes for this as well...

Happy for Rondo, but Steve Nash should've gotten some consideration.

Yeah it's a good list. Go ahead and boo me, but Smith should've gotten 1st over James. Kobe shouldn't be on the first team either. But whatever. The league likes to put as many big names over G/F/C's that actually play defense for the whole game and not whats just seen on ESPN highlights.

Arron Afflalo and Joakim Noah should've gotten waaaay more love.

Joe Johnson getting a first team vote?

WTF! Josh Smith deserved to be there over LeBron by a mile. How do James and Bryant get on the first team, but Varejao, Wade, and Smith get relegated to team two? They might be respective the 1st and 2nd best OFFENSIVE players in the league, but they should not get a bonus for that when being looked over for the all-DEFENSIVE team. Kobe can be an elite defender when he wants to be, but the all-DEFENSIVE team should not be about what they CAN do, but what they DID do. And LeBron? Just no. He's good at one thing defensively, and that's chase-down blocks. Other than that he just has the size and athleticism to make up for poor defense. Half the time he guard the opposing team's worst offensive options (for some reason point guards), leaving his other teammates in often horrible mismatches. Players like Varejao, West, Parker, and even Shaq picked up LeBron's slack defensively. Statistically (blocks and steals) he's a good defender, but overall? Not even.

And if we're going by just statistics? Josh Smith's are BETTER. Dwyane Wade's are BETTER. Varejao's aren't, but the way he hedges screens, and stays between his man (and his teammate's men) and the basket is incomparable to any other big man in the NBA. He does flop a lot, but from what I've heard, so does LeBron. Andy is easily the most important defensive player on the Cavaliers, yet he gets placed behind LeBron because LeBron can score? Dumbest shit ever. The way the NBA selects these teams is ludicrous. Its the popular players with decent stats that always get put on the teams. I'm not sure if Wade deserved it more than other players, but he did deserve it more than both Kobe and LeBron. So did a few others. Kobe has turned his defense up here in the post-season because it has been required, but these awards are for the regular season. That's unfair.

Actual First Team:
Dwight (hes been doing in the regular season what he has in the playoffs, just not as high energy)
Smoove
Wallace (he does way more than people know for that team defensively)
Wade (i guess, really tough one, not sure how much he deserved it but it was more than Kobe, at least for the regular season)
Rondo (by far the most deserving player on this team)

Actual Second Team:
Varejao (for the most part plays center)
Luc Richard Mbah Amute (played D against every position this season, and while people talk about Bogut's D is more, Luc's is better)
Ariza (as poor as his offense was this season, his perimeter defense was actually BETTER than Battier's)
Sefolosha (don't particularly know how deserving he is, but every time i watch him play he's making things difficult for his opponent)
Raymond Felton (how did this guy only get one vote? easily the second best defensive point guard in the NBA)

players that deserve it but have nowhere to put them:

perkins, bogut (injuries a big factor)

Nick C wrote:

Happy for Rondo, but Steve Nash should've gotten some consideration.

Yeah it's a good list. Go ahead and boo me, but Smith should've gotten 1st over James. Kobe shouldn't be on the first team either. But whatever. The league likes to put as many big names over G/F/C's that actually play defense for the whole game and not whats just seen on ESPN highlights.

Arron Afflalo and Joakim Noah should've gotten waaaay more love.

Not only Nash; but Jose should have gotten some consideration as well.

And I totally agree with your statement regarding the league's preference for placing big names on these types of lists. It's unfortunate that the NBA cannot fully give credit where it is due.

@ Kobe and Lebron

YS wrote:

@ Kobe and Lebron

i really dont know how they judge defense on these teams. Ability to shut someone down ala battier or someone who gambles and gets steals and blocks lebron, josh smith.

The best shut down defenders are(no order)

sefolosha
igoudala
battier
hinrich
ak47
kobe(when he actually decides to try to shut down usually hes a help defender)
grant hill(when completely healthy hell of defender)
affalo(ucla love )
Artest
k-mart
kg
perkins

Best help defenders
Lebron
Josh Smith
Dwayne Wade
Rondo

Most annoying defensive players:
Verajao
Rondo
Scola
Hinrich

FC wrote:

i really dont know how they judge defense on these teams. Ability to shut someone down ala battier or someone who gambles and gets steals and blocks lebron, josh smith.

It's how many times you show up on ESPN.

Rondo steals.

James chase down blocks.

Kobe on the ball defense.

Josh Smith doing all three that I listed above.

Howard doing all three above and rebounding.

I'm also not sold on Thabo getting second team... but whatever.

I think this is the least thought out of the All-(insert honor here) team awards.

Dub C wrote:

Half the time he guard the opposing team's worst offensive options (for some reason point guards),)

All I ever hear is that he guards the opposing teams hottest player.

But yeah.. would've liked to see Smith on the 1st team.

Durant got a vote!! hahaha

So did Ibaka and Westbrook.

Sefolasha played some great D over the course of the season so I'm glad he got into the All-Defensive second team. I'm not sure how much LeBron deserved it over Gerald Wallace or Josh Smith,etc.

Not good but it's a list....

FC wrote:

affalo(ucla love )

You Caguy?

I would've loved to see Mbah a Moute make the 2nd team. He can guard just about every position. Yeah, so I'm biased 'cause of UCLA, but he looks great defensively from what I've seen.

ROFL. I think LeBron should just stop blocking people because it's grossly covering his lock down defense. Anyway, I have Kenyon Martin ahead of him

My List (1st team):

Rajon Rondo
Kobe Bryant
Kenyon Martin
Gerald Wallace
Dwight Howard [not sure though]

2nd team

Dwyane Wade
Ron Artest
LeBron James
Tim Duncan/OR KG idk
Kendrick Perkins.

__
Is Dwight a good lock down defender though?

CBI wrote:

Dub C wrote:

Half the time he guard the opposing team's worst offensive options (for some reason point guards),)

All I ever hear is that he guards the opposing teams hottest player.

But yeah.. would've liked to see Smith on the 1st team.

I've seen him guard the other team's hottest player before...remember when he guarded Carmelo? He also guarded Derrick Rose (who by the way doesn't have much range). Big size advantage and no drop off in athleticism. What does Rose do to him? Eats him up. The only reason LeBron's poor perimeter defense isn't exposed is he has amazing size and athleticism. A smaller player (which he is guarding more often than not) would much prefer not to drive into a lane that included Both LeBron on him and a big man coming over. Yet when that player does want to get inside, they can, and it isn't that hard. It's tough for them to put a shot up and make it go in with all the size around him, but it isn't LeBron that stops him from scoring. It's the rotation of the inside defense. LeBron hardly ever guards the hottest player on the other team. Why isn't he on Rondo? Because Mike Brown knows he would get eaten up even worse, and it would only create mismatches for the Boston Celtics. You can't tell me he isn't guarding Rondo because he's a point guard. He's guarded them a lot this season and last post season: Alston, Felton, Rose, etc. Another thing LeBron does with consistency is rotate off his man. He comes over for help often when it isn't necessary because there really are only two things he's looking to do on that end, which are get a block or get a steal. That poor rotation makes defense tougher for his teammates if that player drives, and if that player can shoot threes, he gets a great look. The Cavs team defense is very good, but LeBron's is not. He is good at jumping and blocking a shot, and good at jumping in passing lanes coming from the weak side. All of the other players on these teams do much more defensively than pile up stats. LeBron doesn't belong.

And Kibby, please tell me that you're joking...

LeBron's chase down blocks are the reason people think that he IS good defensively.