UTAH JAZZ center Rudy Gobert and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons were unanimous choices for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced on Monday.
Gobert and Simmons were chosen on all 100 ballots and received 200 points apiece. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (176 points, 80 first-team votes) and the Milwaukee Bucks combo of guard Jrue Holiday (157, 65) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (135, 43) also were first-team selections.
Gobert, who was recently named NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in the past four seasons, is a first-team all-defensive choice for the fifth straight season. He blocked a league-high 190 shots in 71 regular-season games.
Simmons made the All-Defensive First Team for the second straight season, and he was runner-up to Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year honors. Simmons had 93 steals in 58 games.
Green is a defensive first-team choice for the fourth time and Antetokounmpo was chosen for the third time. Antetokounmpo was Defensive Player of the Year last season. Holiday was a first-team all-defensive selection for the first time, and he made the first team for the third time
Holiday received his second defensive first-team honor.
The second team consists of the Miami Heat combo of forward Bam Adebayo (111, 37) and guard Jimmy Butler (111, 37), the 76ers due of center Joel Embiid (87, eight) and guard Matisse Thybulle (63, 3) and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (43, 8). — Reuters
