NBA Preview — First and Second Team All NBA
My picks for the awards that can now decide player salaries
This year, All-NBA selections are more important than ever because of the new CBA. And while my opinions on who should receive this award are just as pointless as my DPOY pick and my MVP choice (coming later), it’s still fun to think about who I would choose for these 15 slots. Today, I’ll select first and second team, followed by my choices for third team tomorrow or Sunday.
First Team
G: Russell Westbrook, G: James Harden, F: Kawhi Leonard, F: LeBron James, C: Rudy Gobert.
Four of these players are absolute shoe-ins, and one may raise a few eyebrows. The first four on this list are also who I’ll be making my MVP choice from, and any one of them is an excellent candidate. It may seem a little weird to have Rudy Gobert on this list. He isn’t a top-five player, so to see him sit alongside names like Harden and Leonard may be a little off-putting to some. However, I think he’s the best center in the league, and some advanced statistics say he’s closer to these others than one might think.
Gobert has had an absolutely insane season. He’s my pick for defensive player of the year, and I think he deserves the accolade of being on the first team as well. Sure, the award is a little diluted since I have to include a center, but Gobert is easily the most deserving of his position. Beyond that, the rest of these picks are all MVP candidates, and thus easy choices. James, Harden, Westbrook, and Leonard are having the four best seasons in the league by most metrics, and are easy choices for this list.
Second Team
G: Stephen Curry, G: Chris Paul, F: Kevin Durant, F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, C: Karl-Anthony Towns
The choices start to get a little more convoluted here, but I feel good about each one. Curry has been a clear step below Westbrook and Harden this season, but he remains as talented as every and easily deserves a spot here. As far as Durant and Antetokounmpo go, each of these two has a decent case for being on the first team. I don’t feel bad about placing either one of them here, but in a year without Leonard’s meteoric rise or James’ continued dominance, these players could easily slide into the top spots.
I picked between Towns and Anthony Davis for the center spot, and it was close. These are two very good players, and I used the VORP table as something of a tiebreaker. Because Towns has a sizable lead over Davis here, he gets the nod for second team.
Ultimately, these are difficult choices because the players are so good, and I don’t claim to have access to a crystal ball that gives me better insight than others. These are my choices though, and I feel good about each of them. I’ll have my picks for the third team coming up soon.
I also can’t end my post for the day without noting this bit of NBA insanity. Seriously, this is fantastic:
Predictions
1–1 last night, 4–3 for the week so far. Two NBA TV games tonight:
Atlanta at Cleveland: Cleveland
The Hawks had a great victory last night, one that I didn’t foresee and one that was incredibly fun to watch. However, they have almost no chance tonight, especially without Paul Millsap. Cleveland may choose to start resting players soon, but I expect them to be in full attack mode this evening.
Oklahoma City at Phoenix: Oklahoma City
One tanking team, one playoff team, one easy prediction. OKC is much better than the Suns anyways, but Phoenix’s relentless pursuit of the tank makes this decision much easier. Thunder win.
