Gobert, George headline NBA All-Defensive team
The NBA announced its All-Defensive teams Wednesday with Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder leading all vote-getters.
Two Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe - joined them alongside Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics on the first team.
| Player | Team | 1st team votes (2 pts) | 2nd team votes (1 pt) | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 97 | 2 | 196 |
| Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder | 96 | 3 | 195 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 94 | 5 | 193 |
| Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics | 63 | 19 | 145 |
| Eric Bledsoe | Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 28 | 100 |
The second team consists of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday, Golden State Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors. Leonard becomes the first Raptors player ever named to an All-Defensive squad.
| Player | Team | 1st team votes (2 pts) | 2nd team votes (1 pt) | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jrue Holiday | New Orleans Pelicans | 31 | 28 | 90 |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | 23 | 36 | 82 |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 4 | 72 | 80 |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 2 | 57 | 61 |
| Kawhi Leonard | Toronto Raptors | 5 | 29 | 39 |
Other players who received votes from a select global media panel included Danny Green of the Raptors, Patrick Beverley of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Derrick White of the San Antonio Spurs.