The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2019/20 season. Unsurprisingly, Defensive Player of the Year (and possible repeat MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo was the leading vote-getter with 195 total points. Players receive two points per First Team vote and one point per Second Team vote.
This is the Bucks forward’s second consecutive appearance on the All-NBA First Team. Antetokounmpo was listed on 98 of 100 ballots from the 100 broadcasters and writers who comprised this year’s voting panel. 97 of those voters awarded him a First Team vote.
Lakers forward Anthony Davis was featured on every ballot and received a total tally of 187 points (including 87 First Team votes). Sixers guard Ben Simmons tallied 185 points with the third-most votes this year. Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2018 and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, was fourth with 95 total votes (85 First Team), for 180 total points. Celtics guard Marcus Smart rounded out the All-Defensive First Team with 152 points, including 57 First Team votes.
Gobert’s inclusion on the All-Defensive First Team has earned him a $500K bonus, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks teammates Brook Lopez (67 points) and Eric Bledsoe (59 points) each made the All-Defensive Second Team.
[RELATED: Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Defensive Player Of The Year]
Here are the full voting results for the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with each player’s point total noted in parentheses:
First Team:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Bucks (195)
- Anthony Davis, F, Lakers (187)
- Ben Simmons, G, Sixers (185)
- Rudy Gobert, C, Jazz (180)
- Marcus Smart, G, Celtics (152)
Second Team:
- Kawhi Leonard, F, Clippers (128)
- Brook Lopez, C, Bucks (67)
- Bam Adebayo, F/C, Heat (61)
- Patrick Beverley, G, Clippers (60)
- Eric Bledsoe, G, Bucks (59)
You can find the full voting results right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marcus Smart is the best defensive player on the NBA, this is a joke
“in” and yes
He made the first team, what are you complaining about?
I think his panties are in a bunch because he only got 152 votes
Lmao probably
not even the best defender on the celtics. it is a joke.
“Kawhi Leonard, F, Raptors (128)”
Have to disagree with the voters here. Kawhi played TERRIBLE defense for Toronto this year. At times it was almost as if he was invisible on or completely absent from the court.
At least it wasn’t his defense for the Spurs.
It could have been worse. At least he was in the same building…
reputation. Should have been Butler.
The NBA plays defense?
How Jrue Holiday is not in is a joke,im sure all the elite wings/guards would agree
Whoever gave a first-team vote to Harden needs to lose their voting privileges.
Marcus Smart is the best defender in the league.
Since Simmons is injured
Cmon, this is a joke.
Sweet Lu is the best defensive player
And where is Jimmvp ?
So how is Simmons the 3rd best defender, but… he wasn’t one of the 3 DPOY finalists? Why on earth was Gobert there?
NBA is rigged. They put Bledsoe on an all defensive team just to increase his trade value to help the Bucks keep Giannis.
Smart and Beverly play like it’s the 90s and their actually fun to watch. Who else actually plays defense… Jimmy, Chris Paul, and the future best defensive backcourt in the NBA—Frank Nitty and Elfrid Payton. That’s about it. NBA sucks, it has since they took away as much defense as possible. Soccer never changes and its the most popular sport in the world. NBA keeps changing and the only “people” who enjoy it now are millennials.