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The league announced the All-NBA teams on Thursday, which has generated a lot of chatter.
Sports shows, pundits, podcasts and fans on social media have talked about the snubs and lack of positional rules on the All-NBA teams. The three teams have sparked a lot of controversy, as many believe, some players didn't deserve a spot, while many deserving players were left out.
Arguably the league's 15 best players get named at the end of every season, and it isn't a meaningless honor just for namesake. There are monetary bonuses tied to these selections. For example, Ja Morant's famous snub this year will eventually cost him $39 million, while Domantas Sabonis' addition earned him a cheque of $1.3 million.
There's a lot to get into so let's take a look at the three All-NBA teams.
All-NBA First Team
The All-NBA First Team is arguably the most controversial this year. Possibly for the first time, we're seeing two players get All-NBA First Team selections despite finishing outside the playoffs.
The First All-NBA Team is mainly reserved for exceptionally talented players with incredible team success. If one looks at All-NBA teams dating back to 1989, the First Team usually features players from 50 and 60-win teams.
This year, though, everything was different. The Western Conference was so close and tight all year long that a handful of wins determined whether a team finished outside the postseason or secured a playoff berth.
Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were both on fire all year long but missed the playoffs. Doncic averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, eight assists per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. He came within 0.7 points of leading the league in scoring and also had a phenomenal 60-21-10 game with a majestic and unforgettable clutch performance.
Alexander, meanwhile, averaged 31.4 points per game with 50/34/90 shooting splits. He led the OKC Thunder, without the latest second-overall pick Chet Holmgren, to a potential playoff berth. The team had no chance of making the postseason but Alexander's individual brilliance turned things around.
The Thunder finished tenth with a 40-42 record, just five wins shy of having home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo both had solid seasons, and they deserve the All-NBA teams selections. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics finished first and second in the East, respectively. Both forwards also averaged over 30 points per game and were great defensively.
Antetokounmpo was third in MVP voting this year and has the type of dominance and stats people have started taking for granted. He routinely puts up absurd numbers, and everyone shrugs it off as a 'daily Giannis night'.
Finally, Joel Embiid got his first-ever All-NBA First Team selection. He led the league in scoring and put up some outstanding games that would leave your jaw hanging. He won the league MVP this season after finishing as the runner-up for the last two years.
All-NBA Second Team
Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell form the backcourt in the Second All-NBA team. Curry missed a lot of games but got the nod for an All-NBA team because of his spectacular play all season. He averaged 29.4 points on 49/41/91 shooting splits with nearly six assists and as many rebounds.
Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell delighted with a monstrous 71-point game this year and had an excellent debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team finished fourth in the East and Mitchell was in the conversation for MVP this season. He eventually finished sixth in the voting ballot.
Speaking of the MVP ballot, Nikola Jokic's selection in the All-NBA Second Team has been called ridiculous by many, especially in the media. He was a consensus top 3 player in the league all year long and was the favorite to win his third MVP trophy for the better part of the season.
His advanced stats and individual numbers are off the charts, including +/- and PER. He led the league in many of these categories but was still snubbed in the First Team, especially when you consider that rules around positions have been haywire.
To give examples of absurd rules around positions, the Second All-NBA Team features Jimmy Butler and Jaylen Brown as the forwards. While Butler is a forward and plays like one, Brown certainly isn't.
Shockingly, both players received votes as guards for All-Defensive Teams. It makes little to no sense that a player receives votes as a guard for All-Defense and gets named to All-NBA teams as a forward.
The league and the voters have conveniently changed their positions to fit the All-NBA teams.
However, not to take away from the fact that Brown had a great season and deserves an All-NBA teams nod anyway.
Butler's selection is questionable, as he showed up in the postseason like a superstar but had a pretty average regular season. He wasn't on the All-Star team, had no first-place MVP votes, and the Miami Heat struggled all year long before finishing in the play-in tournament.
All-NBA Third Team
The Third All-NBA Team also generated a lot of chatter. We all know how phenomenal LeBron James is and the level at which he's playing at the age of 38.
Nobody in their 20th season has averaged 28.9 points, 6.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game on 50% shooting. However, the only knock on his selection is that he played just 55 games this season, the lowest among all 15 players selected.
Additionally, both Sacramento Kings players got the nod, Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox, after a fabulous regular season. Sabonis was seventh in the league in MVP voting, and along with Fox, led the Kings to the third seed in a stacked West and home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The Kings secured their first playoff berth in 16 years, so their selection in the All-NBA teams should come as no surprise.
Damian Lillard, despite a 71-point game and great individual stats, had no team success all year.
Midway through the year, the Portland Trail Blazers decided to tank the season, so Lillard receiving the nod for All-NBA teams is laughable. That's especially the case when you look at Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, who led his team to the second seed in the West but was snubbed.
Julius Randle was the second forward in the All-NBA Third Team. He averaged 25.1 points and 10 rebounds per game while leading the New York Knicks to the fifth seed. However, many would argue that Jalen Brunson was more deserving of an All-NBA teams selection than Randle.
Who was snubbed from the All-NBA Teams this year?
Ja Morant is the obvious name who deserved an All-NBA teams nod, but many believe his off-the-court shenanigans cost him a selection.
Some other players who didn't get the selection this year are Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Davis (Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Paul George (Clippers), Jrue Holiday (Bucks) and Kevin Durant (Nets-Suns).
One can make a case for Davis, Booker, Edwards, Adebayo and Holiday to be at least in the Third Team over some others. Markkanen, despite his breakout year, wasn't expected to get votes for All-NBA Teams looking at the Utah Jazz's season. Moreover, Leonard, George and Durant simply didn't play enough games to be considered.
Guess the Lakers players!
