The Sixer Sense
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NBA award ballots: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and more

By Christopher Kline

Joel Embiid, Sixers (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Joel Embiid, Sixers (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images) /

NBA award ballots: All-Defense teams

Christopher Kline

All-Defense First Team

  • Marcus Smart, BOS
  • Mikal Bridges, PHX
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL
  • Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM
  • Rudy Gobert, UTH

All-Defense Second Team

  • Jrue Holiday, MIL
  • Herbert Jones, NOP
  • Evan Mobley, CLE
  • Bam Adebayo, MIA
  • Robert Williams III, BOS

Some possible positional fudging to get Herbert Jones on the second team, but he has defended guards more than adequately all season and he’s better than the alternatives (mainly Matisse Thybulle, whose inability to close games is an unfortunate but necessary factor to consider when evaluating the most valuable defenders). The rest is a pretty easy sell.

Lucas Johnson

All-Defense First Team 

  • Marcus Smart, BOS
  • Mikal Bridges, PHX
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL
  • Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM
  • Robert Williams III, BOS

All-Defense Second Team

  • Dejounte Murray, SAS
  • Matisse Thybulle, PHI
  • Herbert Jones, NOP
  • Draymond Green, GSW
  • Jarrett Allen, CLE

My All-Defensive teams players were compiled of players either anchoring elite defenses in the NBA or great individual defenders. Thus the reason why Matisse Thybulle of the Sixers and rookie Herbert Jones made the second team.