Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls has been named to the All-NBA Defensive Team for the second time in a row.
Chicago’s Alex Caruso, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels, and Boston teammates Derrick White
and Jrue Holiday were selected for the second team All-Defense.
Caruso was chosen for the All-NBA Defensive First Team in 2023.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama’s recent honour of being named to the All-NBA Defensive First-Team was unlike any other.
The centre from San Antonio is the only player in NBA history to be selected as a rookie to the All-Defensive first
team. On Tuesday, the league revealed the teams, and Wembanyama was listed on 98 of the 99 votes cast.
Rudy Gobert of Minnesota led the squad and was the only unanimous choice for defensive player of the year.
Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo of Miami, Herb Jones of New Orleans, and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers
joined him in the starting lineup.
Since he is 7-3 and shoots step-back threes, it is clear that he had high hopes going into this league. Adebayo said of
Wembanyama, “I think a lot of people paid more attention to that than what he actually did on the defensive end.”
“So, for him to get first-team, first come around, it’s obviously a great accolade for him.”
Gobert was selected for the seventh time all as a member of the starting lineup for the defence. Davis has now been
selected to the first team three times and named an All-Defense player five times. Adebayo was selected to the first
team for the first time on his fifth appearance on the All-Defense team. Jones was the first to join the team.
In reference to his first first-team selection, Adebayo stated, “I feel like it’s been a long time coming.” “Just staying in
this moment, enjoying it, blessed to be able to be one of the ones selected.”
Wembanyama is now the sixth rookie in NBA history to be selected for the All-Defensive Team; the other five were
all selected for the second team during their rookie campaigns. These five were Tim Duncan of San Antonio in 1998,
David Robinson of the Spurs in 1990, Manute Bol of Washington in 1986, Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston in 1985,
and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of Milwaukee in 1970.
On Wednesday, the All-NBA squad will be unveiled. Wembanyama would be the only rookie to have that distinction
since Duncan did 26 years ago if he makes that team.
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