Centers Dominated The First Team NBA All-Defense With Four Selections

After handing out the major awards earlier in the playoffs, the NBA is spending this week announcing the players named to the league’s All-Rookie, All-Defense, and All-NBA teams. After leading the way on the All-Rookie first team, Victor Wembanyama got his second honor on Tuesday, becoming the first rookie to make it on the All-Defense first team in league history.

He joins DPOY Rudy Gobert, fellow DPOY finalist Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, and Herbert Jones on the first team, as voters took advantage of there not being positional requirements anymore to load up with big men on the first team. The second team is where the perimeter defenders got their honors, led by Alex Caruso who finished one voting point shy of Davis for the final First Team spot.

All-Defense First Team

Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves)
Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Herb Jones (Pelicans)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)

All-Defense Second Team

Alex Caruso (Bulls)
Jalen Suggs (Magic)
Derrick White (Celtics)
Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)

Holiday edged out Lu Dort for the final spot on the second team, with Dort coming up two points shy of Holiday in the voting. He may have been hurt by the Thunder all splitting votes as Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous Alexander finished with 21 and 19 points respectively.