Tim BontempsESPN3 minutes to read
Best defensive plays from the NBA All-Defensive First Team
Check out the best defensive moments from Jaren Jackson Jr., Alex Caruso, Brock Lopez, Gro Holiday and Evan Mobley.
Jackson was joined on the first team by two other finalists for the highest defensive honor — Bucks’ Milwaukee center Brock Lopez and Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward Evan Mobley — along with Bucks’ guard Jr. Holiday and Chicago Bulls’ guard Alex Caruso.
Jackson’s teammate Dillon Brooks was one of five players named to the league’s All-Defensive Second Team. He is joined by Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunobi, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Boston Celtics defender Derrick White.
All five players named to the first team made it easy, landing at least 75 out of 100 ballots — including at least 49 first-place votes each.
Pax forward Giannis Antietekounmo has more votes (44) and points (60) than Adebayo (40 and 53 respectively). But Antetokounmpo’s votes came out on top, while Adebayo came in at center, making the Heat’s big man an All-Defense center in second place.
Jackson, who led the NBA with three blocks, was named to the All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row, after being the second-youngest player in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year. Meanwhile, López named his second All-Defense selection of his career after leading the league in shots contested with 1,362 and blocking 2.5 shots per game.
Holiday earned his fifth All-Defense selection in the past six seasons as he and Lopez helped lead the Bucks to the third-best defense in the NBA this season.
Mobley, in his sophomore season, established himself as one of the most versatile defensive players in the league and partnered with center Jarrett Allen to force what was the best defense in the NBA.
Caruso was the backbone of Chicago’s surprising finish as the fifth-best defense, with the Bulls six points better per 100 possessions with him on the field this season defensively.
The All-Defensive team announcement follows the league’s announcement of its All-Rookie teams on Monday. On Wednesday night, the league will reveal its All-NBA teams, before concluding the final week of award voting with the presentation of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award on Thursday afternoon.
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