The ALL NBA Teams, But BETTER
Here’s a thought: What if the “best 15 players in the NBA” were actually the best 15 players in the NBA?
All-NBA is a stupid system. We still cling to positions, despite the NBA moving more and more towards a position-less game. There is no criteria for how to vote, either. Some voters weigh playing time and team success, other voters value counting stats and raw talent. The end product are three All-NBA teams that don’t accurately reflect the top players in the slightest, which is insane given how much All-NBA success factors into an elite player’s pay day.
So, instead, gonna do something radical here. I’m going to rank the best 15 players this year, by a predetermined criteria, and decide the All-NBA teams that way. I know, it’s pretty crazy.
Here’s my rules/guiding principles:
1. Must play (or be on track to play) 60 games, or roughly 75% of the season.
2. Team success is more important than counting stats.
3. No positions. Each team is just the best 5 you can assemble.
That’s it! Let’s get in to it.
DNQ:
Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant
Not enough games. Rip.
FIRST TEAM ALL-NBA:
1. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Milwaukee Bucks
4. Luka Doncíc, PG, Dallas Mavericks
5. Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics
I think this team is pretty clear cut, especially the first three guys. I’m not going to wade my toes too deep into the Jokic/Embiid MVP debate, but it’s definitely been close. Happy to give the nod to Embiid simply for a change of scenery, and he’s absolutely earned the right to be considered the best player in the league despite me believing it’s closer to a big 3 right now with those three guys at the top. Luka has been carrying the Mavericks all year, and despite this slight downturn with an injury and the Kyrie addition, he still definitely deserves a first team vote. And lastly, at the fifth spot, I think Tatum has done enough to secure a first team vote, even though he’s cooled off dramatically from the start of the season. He’s also played the most games of anyone on this list, which is a slight brownie point bump for me. I really don’t think this team needs much explanation, so I’m going to move on to the MUCH harder second team.
SECOND TEAM ALL-NBA:
6. Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics
7. Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
8. DeAaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings
9. Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trailblazers
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
This team suuuuuuuucked to figure out. But I stuck with my guns, and given how much I want to reward team success, this feels about as right as I can make it. Jaylen Brown has been fucking awesome for the Celtics, no two ways about it. If you really wanted to put on your tin foil hat, you could say he’s been better than Tatum. The Celtics are one of two relatively clear title favorites at the moment, and Brown even played through a broken face. Don’t really have enough good things to say about Jaylen Brown, other than he’s criminally underrated. Mitchell and Fox come in at 7/8, and I think it’s the right order for them. Both have been elite scorers, both play with elite playmakers, and both teams are clearly cemented in the playoffs without having to worry about the play-in tournament. Donovan has had higher highs, and is slightly outscoring Fox, so I put him ahead. Lastly, while I did just preach about team success, Dame and Shai have both been too good this year to drop them below the second team. Shai’s team still has a legit chance to not only make the playoffs, but avoid the play-in. Despite that, I gave Dame the higher spot only because I think he had to do more for his team to win the few games they were able to this year. That said, I think they’re closer to a tie than the Fox/Mitchell debate was.
THIRD TEAM ALL-NBA:
11. Julius Randle, PF, New York Knicks
12. Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Sacramento Kings
13. Jrue Holiday, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
14. Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks
15. Lauri Markkanen, PF, Utah Jazz
Long live the stretch bigs! Julius Randle has been fucking awesome this year, barely missing any playing time while absolutely dominating for the Knicks and bringing good basketball back to a city that so desperately needs it. He’s been on a heater from three since the All-Star Break, which coincides with the Knicks best stretch of the season. And while Jalen Brunson has been awesome, Randle has clearly been the best player on the team. Meanwhile, Sabonis has been arguably just as valuable to his team. Since coming over to Sacramento in one of the more even star trades in NBA history, Sabonis has unlocked a new part of Fox’s game and helped elevate the Kings to the league’s best offense this season. The Kings! League best! K-Mart Jokic is not an inaccurate nickname, and Sabonis has been at his best as the Kings look to close out the season. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday is up there with Jaylen Brown as far as best under appreciated second fiddles. He’s held down the fort in the few games Giannis has missed, and once again looks like the best perimeter defender in the NBA, no matter what the Marcus Smart DPOY voters tell you. The Bucks have also been unstoppable, largely due to his play, sooooo you know. Kinda important. Lastly, to round out this team, I wanted to give the nod to some more under-appreciated guys but Kyrie has been too good to leave off. He’s a borderline top 10 scorer this year, and is still shooting super well. I decided to finish off the team with Markkanen, who’s been a revelation for Utah. It helps that he’s a plus on defense, too, but I wouldn’t fight people too hard if they wanted to suggest a different player at 15.
Speaking of….
FINAL CUTS:
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, James Harden, Paul George, Anthony Edwards, Pascal Siakam
Close! So close. Just not close enough.
