The NBA has been announcing the end of season awards recently. In the latest announcement, the NBA All-Defensive teams got revealed. A few days back, Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy. The All-Defensive teams have some surprising ommissions which is bound to create a lot of buzz in the media.
2019-2020 NBA All-Defensive teams:
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
First team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Marcus Smart, Ben Simmons
Second team: Bam Adebayo, Patrick Beverley, Eric Bledsoe, Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez
Milwaukee Bucks finished with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and with that the best record in the NBA this season. The credit rightfully went to their strong defence. NBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP favourite Giannis Antetokounmpo made the first team, with guard Eric Bledsoe and center Brook Lopez earning second-team honours.
LA Lakers star power forward Anthony Davis made the first team too. He had finished second in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Antetokounmpo. AD is a defensive anchor for the Lakers and earned plaudits from media and colleagues for his ability to guard multiple positions. City rivals LA Clippers are represented in the 2019-2020 NBA All-Defensive teams by forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Patrick Beverley, both making a place in the second squad.
Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert made the first team. A surprising omission from the team was Jimmy Butler, who was exceptional on the defensive end for Miami Heat.
Despite having three players in the NBA All-Defensive teams, the Milwaukee Bucks currently trail Miami Heat 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Heat gained a 3-0 advantage before Bucks countered with a win of their own in the fourth game. Giannis Antetokounmpo walked off the court after an ankle injury in that game and is ruled out for the fifth game. The winner of this series will play one of Boston Celtics or Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Boston Celtics lead that series 3-2.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Why OKC Thunder must move Steven Adams this offseason
Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.