The 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive first team features four centers and a French connection.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones and Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis were named to the first team on Tuesday.
While the first team is almost exclusively rim protectors, the second team is loaded with perimeter menaces in Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Celtics guard Jrue Holiday.
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Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder was two points shy of tying Holiday for the final second-team spot and one of 24 players to receive votes without making one of this year's All-Defensive teams.
Here is a look at how the voting went down.
NBA
Gobert picked up his fourth career NBA Defensive Player of the Year honor this season, putting him alongside Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all time. The 31-year-old French center averaged 12.9 rebounds per game (second in the NBA) and 2.1 blocks per game (tied for sixth in the NBA) on a Minnesota squad that led the NBA in defensive rating (108.4). The voters took notice, as he was the only unanimous first-team All-Defensive selection this year.
Wembanyama is the first rookie to be selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team. The 7-foot-4 phenom was also named the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 3.6 blocks per game while adding 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Adebayo is on the first team for the first time after being a second-team selection each of the last four seasons. Davis secured his third first-team selection to go with two second-team selections. Jones, meanwhile, is an All-Defensive member for the first time.
