2022-23 NBA Awards Media Poll: All-Defensive Teams
Over the last few weeks, the NBA awards have been a hot topic of discussion around the NBA world.
The three finalists for each award were announced on Friday, April 14, but Fastbreak on FanNation has collected data from NBA media members around the country covering both the league at-large and individual teams.
These media members were asked to vote on their All-Defensive Teams this season with the voting process working as follows:
- 2 points for every first-team vote
- 1 points for every second-team vote
Below are the results from the voting that took place for the 2022-23 NBA All-Defensive teams at the conclusion of the regular season:
NBA All-Defensive First Team
Official results from Fastbreak on FanNation’s NBA Media Awards Polling 2022-23 - All-Defensive First Team
All-Defensive First Team Results: G Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), G Alex Caruso (Chicago Bulls), F Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), F Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), C Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award and he was almost a unanimous selection to the All-Defensive First Team in the media vote, as he received 19 of the 20 first team votes, leading all players with 39 out of 40 possible voting points.
Brook Lopez, a fellow Defensive Player of the Year finalist, was also voted to All-Defensive First Team alongside his teammate on the Milwaukee Bucks and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The two guards receiving the most first team votes were Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls and Jrue Holiday, also from the Bucks.
Holiday and Lopez each received 18 first team votes, as Caruso received ten total first team votes and Antetokounmpo finished with seven.
This would be Giannis’ sixth All-Defensive team honor, Holiday’s fifth, Lopez’s second, Jackson’s second and Caruso’s first.
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
Official results from Fastbreak on FanNation’s NBA Media Awards Polling 2022-23 - All-Defensive Second Team
All-Defensive Second Team Results: G Derrick White (Boston Celtics), G Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics), F OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors), F Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), F/C Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
A pair of teammates led the voting for All-Defensive second team in the backcourt, as Derrick White and Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics fill these two spots.
OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors and Jaden McDaniels from the Minnesota Timberwolves take the two forward spots, as Anunoby could have been voted in as either a guard or forward due to his dual-position eligibility. Both players received double-digit second team votes.
As for the center spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, Evan Mobley was voted in here with 11 first team votes and 30 out of 40 total voting points.
The third finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, Mobley should be on the All-Defensive First Team, but the NBA insists on having positions define spots on these awards lists, hence why he falls to the second team.
Others Receiving All-Defensive Team Votes:
Official results from Fastbreak on FanNation’s NBA Media Awards Polling 2022-23 - All-Defensive Team (Others)
Golden State Warriors four-time champion Draymond Green, Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton and both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat headline the list of those who also received consideration for All-Defensive team this year in the media vote.
Two premier perimeter defenders in Luguentz Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Herbert Jones from the New Orleans Pelicans also received second-team votes.
Only Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler received at least one first-place vote and missed the cut.
