What the All-NBA Teams look like so far
As the All-Star Game approaches, we are almost to the halfway point in the season. Now is the time where fans and experts alike can see which players, and teams, are truly playing at a high level. At the end of the season, there is always a lot of debate on who should be on the All-NBA teams. Whether a player's team made the playoffs or not is not relevant at this point, the criteria are based on individual performance. This is how Goran Dragic made the All-NBA Third Team in 2014 as a member of the Phoenix Suns. While the Suns barely missed the playoffs, with a 48-34 record, Dragic, who averaged 20.3 PPG and 5.9 APG, had good enough stats and overall impact to be voted onto the Third Team; over guards like John Wall, who averaged a career-high (at the time) 19.3 PPG and 8.8 APG. Wall's Wizards team made the playoffs that year with a 44-38 record and lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. Going back to the original point of this blog, making one of the three All-NBA teams is a huge honor. It shows how good of a year a player had and is also one of the standards looked at when players are being voted into the Hall of Fame. So without further adieu, here is who I think should be voted onto each of the three All-NBA teams based on the season thus far:
A quick legend for those of you who don't follow NBA stats as closely as a nerd like me:
PPG = Points Per Game
APG = Assists Per Game
RPG = Rebounds Per Game
SPG = Steals Per Game
BPG = Blocks Per Game
FGP = Field Goal Percentage
PER = Player Efficiency Rating
All-NBA First Team:
G - Russell Westbrook
Need I say more? Westbrook is having one of the greatest seasons anyone has ever seen. He is currently averaging 30.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 10.4 APG. He may become the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson did during the 1961-62 season. Westbrook may not be an All-Star Game starter, but he deserves a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
G - James Harden
Harden, who I think is the leading candidate for the MVP award thus far, is also having an amazing year. Harden is averaging 28.7 PPG and 11.6 APG under Mike D'Antoni's system in Houston. Harden has flourished with the spread floor and shooters surrounding him making him an All-Star Game starter and a lock for the All-NBA First Team.
F - Kevin Durant
This was the first hard decision for me. Kevin Durant or LeBron James. I'll get to James later, but it should be mentioned now that LeBron has made it into 9 All-NBA First Teams in a row. He has only missed the First Team 3 times, twice being on the Second Team and once not being on any of the three teams (his rookie season in 2004). Back to Durant, though. To begin the season, it was apparent Durant was slightly struggling to acclimate to his new teammates and surroundings. However, with time, Durant returned to his usual self. Durant is averaging 26.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and has a PER of 28.2 placing him fourth in the league so far. It's safe to say Durant is having one of his best years as a pro in his tenth season.
F - Kawhi Leonard
This is another spot that LeBron could fit in but I think it is time Kawhi received the respect he deserves. He is the best player, by far, on a Spurs team that has the second-best record in the NBA. Kawhi has consistently carried the Spurs night in and night out and makes it almost look effortless. Leonard is averaging 25.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.83 SPG, and a PER of 29.5. Even in his sixth year as a pro, Kawhi still is not receiving the recognition I feel he deserves. However, being put on the First Team over LeBron is a huge step in the right direction.
C - DeMarcus Cousins
The #FreeBoogie movement should be more popular than it is. DeMarcus Cousins should not be on the Kings. He deserves better. There are a lot of good players on bad teams but Boogie is the leader of the pack. Not only are the players around him bad, the ownership and management of the team is bad. Overall, Sacramento is a dumpster fire. However, that does not take away from the greatness that is DeMarcus Cousins. Yes, he has attitude issues and might be a tough teammate to play with, but on a pure talent basis, Cousins is a monster. Boogie is averaging 28.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. His 27.1 PER is eighth in the league and the highest among centers. Depending on how the year ends, Rudy Gobert or even DeAndre Jordan - only if CP3 gets healthy quickly due to DeAndre's reliance on his playmaking ability - could sneak into this spot, but I don't see Boogie slowing down anytime soon.
All-NBA Second Team:
G - Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas is having the year of his life. Not only is his Celtics team third in the Eastern Conference with a 26-17 record, but he is also scoring at an insane rate. Thomas leads the league in 4th quarter points at 10.1 PPG. In basketball, it's not always how you start, but how you finish and Thomas is the best in the league at putting teams away. Thomas is also averaging 29.0 PPG, which ranks second for point guards behind Russell Westbrook. Thomas effectively has 6.0 APG and has a 26.9 PER as well. It's safe to say at this point that Thomas will make at least one of these three teams.
G - DeMar DeRozan
It looks like DeMar DeRozan made the smart decision by staying in Toronto. The Raptors are second in the East and most nights look like they are a legit title contender. Much of this has to do with the play of DeRozan and backcourt mate Kyle Lowry (I'll comment on him a little later). DeRozan has gone from just an athletic scorer to a pretty good overall player. His defense still isn't great but it is about league average. Nonetheless, his scoring is still near the league's best. DeRozan is averaging 27.9 PPG, has a .473 FGP ranking at the third best for shooting guards, and has 1.2 SPG. These stats have helped him become an All-Star Game starter and will inevitably help him make an All-NBA Team at the season's end.
F - LeBron James
Well, this is awkward. As mentioned before, LeBron has only missed the First Team three times in his 13 years on NBA experience. While LeBron is not performing up to his typical standards this season, he is still averaging 25.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 8.3 APG. Only the assist numbers are higher than Kevin Durant's but LeBron is still, in my opinion, the best player in the NBA. However, with the elite play of Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, to this point in the season, LeBron gets bumped down to the Second Team. After all pf his dominance in the NBA, though, I bet LeBron would rather have another ring than the honor of being on the All-NBA First Team so we'll see how that shapes up come playoff time.
F - Anthony Davis
Aside from DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis is in quite possibly the worst situation in the NBA. He has dragged the Pelicans through the mud to a 17-27 record which ranks at the 10th best in the West. Anthony Davis either needs out of New Orleans or needs some actual talent around him because Tyreke Evans' corpse and Tim Frazier are not cutting it. Davis is leading all big men with 28.6 PPG and is averaging 12.0 RPG. He is also averaging 2.41 BPG, which is third in the league, and 1.29 SPG. Davis reps the second best PER, tied with Kawhi Leonard, at 28.3. A starter in the All-Star Game as well makes it seem Davis will either be on the First or Second Team after the regular season.
C - Rudy Gobert
Underrated. Underappreciated. Damn good. All three of those adjectives describe the absolute beast that is Rudy Gobert. The "Stifle Tower" is only in his fourth year in the NBA and has wreaked havoc against any opponent trying to score in the paint. The 7'1" Gobert has been defensively solid since his first season with the Jazz but now has an equally impressive offensive game. Gobert is averaging a respectable 12.9 PPG that goes along with his 12.7 RPG and ridiculous 2.51 BPG. Gobert ranks first in Defensive rating, at 97.5, and second in Offensive rating, at 128.7, in the league. Gobert has definitely emerged as a legitimate big in the NBA and will definitely find himself on a lot of these lists before the end of his career.
All-NBA Third Team:
G - Stephen Curry
I can honestly say I did not see this coming at the beginning of the season. Steph almost doesn't even deserve to be on this list, but due to his recent heating up and the reputation he now carries, it's hard not to give him at least Third Team honors. All that being said, Steph definitely is not playing like a back-to-back MVP and for sure is not playing like the only unanimous MVP in NBA history. Much of this has to do with the role Kevin Durant has taken with Warriors, creating fewer shots for Steph and the others on the team, but I feel like some of it might be from the beating he took in the playoffs last year. Whether it be physically or mentally, something still seems a little off with how Steph is playing. Nevertheless, Stephen Curry is still one of the best players in the NBA right now. Curry is averaging a relatively low, for his standards, 24.6 PPG, and 6.1 APG. Stephen Curry is infamous for his poor defense but is averaging an impressive, for how bad he is at defense, 1.75 SPG. Does Steph Curry deserve to be an All-Star Game starter this year? No. Is he as good as he was the last two years? Hell no. But, does he deserve to be on one of these All-NBA Teams? I guess we'll see what happens in the second half of the season.
G - Kyrie Irving
I thought choosing between KD and LeBron was tough, but the two guards for the Third Team proved to be just as challenging. Damian Lillard is having a great year and Kyle Lowry is definitely not receiving as much appreciation for his season with the Raptors than he should be getting. That being said, Kyrie Irving is still Kyrie Irving. Irving proved last year in the NBA Finals that he can be the primary scoring option on the Cavaliers and it is successful. Kyrie's emergence as an elite scorer from inside and outside the paint has not only helped his legacy build but protect LeBron's as well. LeBron may get 2 or 3 extra years in the league because he doesn't have to be "the guy" all the time in Cleveland. Irving's 23.8 PPG and 5.6 APG are both career highs. His metric stats like WAR and Offensive rating aren't as high as Kyle Lowry's, but I still think based on how much he does for the Cavs and the impact he has on all their wins, he deserves this spot.
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo
THE GREEK FREAK! Giannis has taken the NBA by storm this year. He is making guys like Charles Barkley learn how to say his last name because of how good he is. Giannis has gone from an abnormal specimen of a player, HE HAS GROWN ALMOST 3 INCHES SINCE BEING DRAFTED, to a solid starter in the NBA and a potential star. Giannis is in his fourth season in the NBA and has improved every single year. Now 6'11", Giannis is the primary ball handler for the Bucks, who are right outside the playoff picture in the East as the 10th seed. Giannis is averaging 23.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 BPG, and 1.81 SPG; all ranking in the top 7 among forwards this season. Giannis has quickly become one of the best all-around players in the NBA, earning him a starting spot on the Eastern Conference's All-Star team, and an almost guaranteed spot on an All-NBA team.
F - Draymond Green
I'm not going to spend a lot of space on Draymond because he has not changed much from last year, except the fact he is getting fewer touches since the addition of KD in Golden State, but that doesn't take away from the respect I have towards Draymond's game (groin and face kicking aside). Green is still one of the best defenders in the NBA, able to guard any position, and is also a great facilitator for the Warriors by making excellent passes to his nearly automatic teammates. Green's PPG is the lowest it has been in two seasons at 10.7 PPG, but he is still averaging 8.7 RPG and a career-high 7.6 APG. Draymond may be loved or despised, depending on where you are from or what team you root for, but that does not take away from the great NBA player he is.
C - Hassan Whiteside
Hopefully, Hassan Whiteside is enjoying the $22.1 million he is receiving to be on a Miami Heat team which currently has the second-worst record in the league. While this is not entirely Whiteside's fault, in fact, he is the main reason they have the 14 wins of their 14-30 record, it doesn't help his reputation being the best player on a bad team. Ever since Kevin Love hasn't put up the same numbers in Cleveland that he did in Minnesota, people have been wary of statistics players are putting up on bad teams. That being said, Whiteside is actually having a pretty efficient season. Whiteside is averaging a less than impressive 17.3 PPG, but leads the league in RPG with 14.2 and is second in BPG with 2.7. This spot is still pretty wide open, but Whiteside has made a pretty good case for himself.
Honorable Mention ("All-NBA Fourth Team"):
G - Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers; 26.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 23.0 PER)
G - Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors; 22.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.65 SPG, 23.9 PER)
F - Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls; 24.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 25.7 PER)
F - Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz; 22.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, 22.9 PER)
C - Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves; 22.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 23.0 PER)
