My picks for the All-Defensive Team 2019-20

It is safe to say that the last 18 days without basketball have felt more like centuries to most fans, where we pray every night for this virus to stop so we can just get back to the season. But alas dear basketball fans, life can be just like Kevin Durant joining a 73-win Golden State team; cruel and unfair. But whether or not the season starts back, we should take this time to self-isolate and practice social distancing. Because when you think about it, the sooner we self-isolate the quicker the season will start back (or something like that.) But enough about the depressive situation that the world is in right now. Let’s talk about the All-Defensive Team for a bit.

For those of you who don’t know, the NBA All-Defensive Team is composed of two five-man line-ups for a total of 10 players which are separated into a first and second team. Voting is conducted by a panel of 123 broadcasters and writers.

Before I get into it, I might as well tell you guys who my Defensive Player of the Year is and that’s going to be Anthony Davis. In all honesty, it’s not close now. Rudy Gobert really fell off after the all-star break and he was the only real competition for AD in my opinion. But throughout the season even though he has never been a slouch on defence, he stepped up his game now that he’s playing alongside Lebron and has defensive minded head coach in Frank Vogel. He can guard the opposing team’s best player on most nights thanks to his switch-ability and his freak athleticism. I'm not going to bore you too much with stats because he always puts-up double-digit blocks and steals but his defensive rating is 100.8, which is 4^th in the NBA. So do with that what you will.

And, without further ado, here’s my All-Defensive 1^st Team:

Guard	Ben Simmons
Guard	Marcus Smart
Forward	Anthony Davis
Forward	Giannis Antetokounmpo
Center	Brook Lopez

 

Ben Simmons – He always had the size and length to be a great defender, but I do think in this season he finally put it all together when it comes to his defence at least (still waiting on the jump shoot.) The 6-foot-10-point forward is a walking mismatch for opposing guards thanks to his size, length and athleticism and he also can flawlessly go between dodging picks to close out on smaller guards and to boding up big men in the paint. He is also first in steals with 2.1 a game which is a 0.7 increase from last season (1.4).

Marcus Smart – What else can you say about Smart’s defence? He gives you Westbrook level of intensity but on the defensive side, he gives you 110% on every play, every game no matter what. His size may be deceiving standing at only 6-foot-3, but this dog not only barks but he bites...hard. He’s constantly harassing guards, smoothly chasing them around screens but he can also make lives hard for bigs, as he doesn’t let them post him up easily. He is easily the heart and soul of the Celtic’s defence.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – If I must explain to you why the Greek Freak deserves to be a part of the top 5 defensive players in the NBA, then you my friend are living under a rock & clearly don’t watch basketball.

Brook Lopez – Hold up! Before you start saying, “WTF?!” in your head or to your friends, allow me to make his case. This season he has been the 2^nd best shot-blocker in the league with 2.4 a game (a career high) and his defensive rating of 99.0 is 2^nd in the league only to his Bucks teammate Giannis (96.3). Ever since he joined the Bucks, Lopez’s defensive rating has been in the top 10 in the league (9th and 2nd) and he has averaged >2 blocks (2.2 and 2.4) for the first time since his All-star season in 2012-13. And I know what you’re thinking, “He’s only doing this good because he’s on Giannis’ team,” to which I say, yes you have a point. But we cannot fault him for playing his role well and with the decline of Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid missing 20 games I believe that this season is Brook Lopez’s time to shine.

Now, here’s my 2^nd team NBA All Defensive Team:

Guard	Eric Bledsoe
Guard	Kyle Lowry
Forward	Kawhi Leonard
Forward	Jason Tatum
Center	Rudy Gobert

 

Eric Bledsoe – Another bulldog that has benefitted from the great defensive scheme in Milwaukee. He’s always been a good defender but playing alongside other great defenders has really took his game to another level, constantly harassing opposing guards and fighting through screens to stay with his assignment. He is also 7^th in the league with a defensive rating of 103.0 and I don’t think he feel off from his defensive form from last season, but I do think Simmons has been more impressive.

Kyle Lowry – Since he’s my favourite player, I’ll keep my biases to a minimum. On a team with impressive defensive players like OG, Siakam, Ibaka and Gasol it is easy to say that Kyle Lowry is the heart and soul of not only the team but it’s defence. He’s tied for 1^st in the league in charges drawn, his basketball IQ allows him to keep everybody on their assignments and to make smart plays to change momentum of a game. And I love him dearly.

Kawhi Leonard – He’s the Klaw. Do I really need to explain why he deserves to be here? He arguably may not be as good as he once was before the injury, but he’s still clearly a defensive juggernaut. Just go back and watch Clipper games to get your proof (you know the one’s where he’s not doing load management.)

Jason Tatum –What has been overlooked since his offense took off after the all-star break, was just how good Tatum's defence has gotten. Career highs in blocks and steals per game (0.9 and 1.4), Tatum has shown the ability to switch on positions 1 through 4 and is very smart on his help defence and is a main reason that the Celtics have a top defence this season. Does he still have room for improvement? Yes, but he still has so much potential.  I am excited to see what he does next season.

Rudy Gobert – Yeah, he kind of fell off, but this was a tossup between him and Myles Turner. But I feel more comfortable giving it to the Stifle Tower. He’s still a great shot blocker but his flaws have been on display this season as he can be played off the court by smart teams who can switch onto a fast, crafty guard.

Honourable Mentions

Myles Turner (sigh, maybe next season man.), Pascal Siakam, Lebron James, Lonzo Ball, Jimmy Butler, Kris Dunn, Jrue Holiday. 

March 29^th 2020