Picking the two All-Defensive Teams is going to be a very interesting exercise this year.
Previously, voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and a center for their First and Second Team ballots. The NBA has done away with positions for both All-NBA and All-Defensive starting this season, allowing voters to construct their ballots any way they wish.
Big men are generally more impactful than guards on defense, so we are going to see a lot more size on these teams in the immediate future. The league has also instituted a 65-game minimum, making guys like Jonathan Isaac and Draymond Green ineligible.
The fact that there are only two All-Defensive teams is a tragedy. 10 players will get the honor, which in this humble writer's opinion is far too few to get recognition (and why I've created a top 100 defenders list). The honorable mentions list will be long.
I pay very close attention to defense. These guys are rock-solid. Here are the 10 best defenders in the NBA.
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All-Defensive First Team picks
- Rudy Gobert
- Victor Wembanyama
- Bam Adebayo
- Anthony Davis
- Alex Caruso
After a down year in which he battled nagging injuries, Gobert returned to form this year as one of the most dominant defenders in the league. The Timberwolves built far and away the best defense this season with him as their anchor. He is, of course, one of the premier rim protectors in the league. He's also been a much better perimeter defender than advertised.
Gobert will likely win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award and is a shoo-in for a First Team All-Defensive nod.
There is nobody more intimidating than Wemby and his 8-foot wingspan. He stopped a 3-on-1 fast break by himself this season simply because everyone was terrified of shooting it near him. That's for good reason — his 3.6 blocks per game led the league by a giant margin and were the most in the past seven years. He became the first player to average 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals since Ben Wallace in 2001-02.
Adebayo was a stabilizing force for the Heat's top-five defense. When he's off the floor, they collapse. He has been the guy that has shut the water off in Miami. Put him on any team in the league and he will single-handedly carry them to a top 10 defense.
Adebayo's strength is in his versatility. He can guard on the perimeter, protect the rim and quarterback the team's lethal zone. He's a hyper-intelligent help defender and also takes the toughest matchups.
Davis had one of his best defensive seasons ever. Like Adebayo, he is capable of playing in multiple schemes. He is a terrific rim protector, averaging 2.3 blocks per game, and he was third in the league in defensive rebounding. He covers an immense amount of space, cleaning up everything for the Lakers.
Caruso is the best pound-for-pound defender in the league. He's tough as nails, sacrificing his body constantly and guarding much bigger players. He is impossible to screen and knows every single play tendency in the league, blowing up actions before they can take place. As a one-on-one defender, there is no one better.
Caruso saves his best for the end of games, where he seemingly always finds a way to create a momentum-shifting turnover.
MORE: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are a sleeping giant
All-Defensive Second Team picks
- Jalen Suggs
- Herb Jones
- Derrick White
- Jrue Holiday
- Isaiah Hartenstein
Suggs' defense has been a revelation for the Magic and was a huge catalyst for their improvement this season. He's a shade behind Caruso in my book, but realistically, you could go either way.
Suggs stays glued to the best perimeter players in the league, suffocating them and controlling the point of attack. His screen navigation is unreal — he finds the skinniest gaps to slip his body through. Opponents can't handle his energy, turning it over or simply looking to get rid of the ball rather than deal with him. And he is a killer in the passing lanes, reading plays and picking the ball off constantly.
Jones has seen improvement on both sides of the ball, turning into one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league. He shocks jump shooters with how quickly he can close out, blocking a ton of 3s. He can't be scored on in one-on-one situations, and his length and speed make him fly around the court. He's the best wing defender out there.
"Avoid him like the plague," Gregg Popovich told reporters this year. "I'm serious. I told my guys, 'If he's there, pass it to someone else.'"
Holiday had to adjust to a very different role for the Celtics. He shut down everyone from Stephen Curry to Joel Embiid this season. He also played in the middle of Boston's zone, which is a spot generally reserved for centers. The 6-4 guard can do that because of how strong his lower body is and how great he is as a communicator. He spearheaded Boston's killer No. 2 defense.
White is the other half of that stifling backcourt and the guy who provides energy with his hustle plays. Those two wreak havoc together, switching seamlessly and creating a ton of deflections. White remains the best guard shot blocker in the league and a great chase-down threat on fast breaks. He doesn't quite have the same switchability as Holiday, but he is an awesome on-ball defender and has tremendous feel.
Hartenstein's name might surprise some folks, but he was among the best defenders in both advanced stats, where he ranked No. 2 in Estimated Plus-Minus, and by the eye test. Hartenstein was thrust into a much bigger role after Mitchell Robinson's injury, and he showed that he can be an anchor of a great defense. The Knicks had a top-10 defense all year and rose to the top five when Hartenstein was put in the starting lineup.
Hartenstein does a little bit of everything. He rebounds well, he blocks shots, he gets steals and his feel on help rotations is fantastic. He has a knack for deflecting passes and consistently puts himself in perfect position to defend plays.
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Final All-Defensive ballot
| First Team | Second Team |
|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | Jalen Suggs |
| Victor Wembanyama | Herb Jones |
| Anthony Davis | Derrick White |
| Bam Adebayo | Jrue Holiday |
| Alex Caruso | Isaiah Hartenstein |
Biggest snubs: Kawhi Leonard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon, Jaden McDaniels, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, Kris Dunn, Isaac Okoro, Lu Dort, Jarrett Allen, Chet Holmgren, Brook Lopez, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Anthony Edwards
