Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, Paul George, Chris Paul, Serge Ibaka and Andre Iguodala make up this year’s All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced in a press release. LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Roy Hibbert are on the second team. The news is a boon for the Bulls, who would have had to pay Taj Gibson a $250K bonus for making either the first or second All-Defensive teams. Chicago scrambled late in the season to avoid the possibility that such a bonus for Gibson would force the team to pay the luxury tax. Earning the bonus would have pushed Gibson’s salary cap figure higher for next season, too, since it would have been considered a “likely” bonus for next season.
Noah received 105 first-place votes, far outdistancing George, who with 65 first-place votes earned the second most. Iguodala and James received an identical number of first-place votes (57), but Iguodala’s 34 second-team votes were better than the four-time MVP’s 20, allowing Golden State’s swingman to take the final position on the first team.
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was the highest vote-getter who missed the cut for the second team, followed by Anthony Davis and Tony Allen. Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard were next, directly in front of Gibson.
How is LeBron not on all defensive first team?
That’s ridiculous I amt believe it either…
So Butler makes second team and Gibson gets paid?
Nope, Gibson doesn’t get his bonus.
–Chuck
Thats insane , no LeBron, :its official whoever voted was blind , he should have won defensive pl layer of the year !!!
That’s ridiculous how was Lebron runner up for DPOY and didn’t make the First team for defense…
No he wasn’t Roy Hibbert was runner up.
These voters are fucking idiots…tony allen and lebron didnt make it to first team
Cuz Iguodala is the shit
This is just gonna make LeBron go off on the Spurs, just watch. He don’t like when critics diminish his play on the defensive end. I think PG is cool but Iggy, who is a great defender, only average 9 points played 63 games. I know points doesn’t have much to do about defense but his team was close to no making the playoffs. . I just don’t understand how a overall first team player who is known for his great defense is a runner up behind a guy who looked nothing like the Iggy the previous year
Yeah your a retard the spurs are going to spank LeBron and the Miami Heat so bad and then turn around and do it next year too #spurs fan for life#your just a bandwagon LeBron fan# spurs are a real team not a one man show off
Taj >Roy Defensively and offensively at this point. I don’t know if Jimmy should have made it over him, but I’ll take a Bull either way
Why is Lebron even on the 2nd defensive team? When you get beat by Paul George so many times that you have to switch and guard someone else. Lebron only made 2nd team because his name is Lebron. I’d put him on 1st team to scared to take the last shot so he passes everytime team. To all you guys throwing a tantrum about him not being on the first team, are you serious. His D is mediocre at best and to anyone that disagrees with that it’s only because you want him halfway down your throat.