The 2017 season might have had the best talent in the NBA for over a decade or longer. There were a ton of superstar players playing at their absolute best, which made the All-NBA Team selections a very competitive part of the year. After all, every one of the top players in the league had a shot for making an All-NBA Team during the 2016-2017 season.
- All-NBA Third Team
- G John Wall, Washington Wizards
- G DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
- F Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
- F Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
- C DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
- All-NBA Second Team
- G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- G Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
- F Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
- All-NBA First Team
- G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
- G James Harden, Houston Rockets
- F Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
- F LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
- C Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
It is time to revisit the All-NBA Team performers and analyze the amount of talent that was in the league at one point. We had never seen competition on All-NBA Teams before, and a lot of the players that made the selections had the most special seasons of their careers. With 15 superstars in their prime, here is the All-NBA Team breakdown in 2017.
All-NBA Third Team
G John Wall, Washington Wizards
2016-17 Statistics: 23.1 PPG, 10.7 APG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG
John Wall was sensational in 2017. Leading the Washington Wizards to a 49-33 record (4th in the East), Wall certainly played like a top-3 point guard in the NBA. He led the league in steals and finished 2nd in assists. Wall was too quick to handle by any defender and his growth alongside Bradley Beal was the main reason the Wizards finished with a solid record. Wall was also tied for 7th with Giannis Antetokounmpo in MVP voting.
G DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
2016-17 Statistics: 27.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
The Raptors had a solid season by finishing 3rd in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record. Alongside Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan was the best player on the Raptors by finishing 7th in the NBA in scoring. DeRozan also shot a solid percentage from the field (46.7%), which is a high number for a player who takes a lot of mid-range shots. DeRozan was one of the best shooting guards in the NBA in 2017 and deserved his All-NBA spot.
F Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
2016-17 Statistics: 23.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The Chicago Bulls trio of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo led the team to a 41-41 record in the Eastern Conference. That was good enough for the 8th seed, and also enough for Jimmy Butler to earn an All-NBA spot. Butler would have his career-high in scoring and earn his 3rd straight All-Star selection. In terms of two-way play, Butler was one of the best in the NBA.
F Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Statistics: 10.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.4 BPG
The Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, Draymond Green was the vocal leader and defensive stalwart behind the Golden State Warriors super team. Green did not have to score much with Durant, Curry, and Thompson on the team; so he focused his efforts on being the most versatile defender in the NBA. Green played the power forward position, but he was able to handle all five positions on defense and often played small-ball center for the best team in the NBA.
C DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
2016-17 Statistics: 12.7 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.7 BPG
DeAndre Jordan was the most consistent performer for the Los Angeles Clippers, who had a solid team built around Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul had a solid season averaging 18.1 PPG and 9.2 APG while Griffin chipped in 21.6 PPG, but Jordan’s defense was the most important part of the team. Jordan finished 3rd in the NBA in rebounds per game, led the league in field goal percentage (71.4%), and finished 7th in blocks.
All-NBA Second Team
G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Statistics: 25.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
If it wasn’t for Russell Westbrook’s legendary season, Stephen Curry would have finished with an All-NBA First Team spot. Curry shot a whopping 41.1% from three, and he could not be stopped as he was the franchise star behind the 67-win Warriors squad. Of course, Curry was bolstered by the arrival of Kevin Durant and that made the marksman even more unstoppable on the court. Curry’s shooting was a major reason the Warriors had the best record in the NBA.
G Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
2016-17 Statistics: 28.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
2017 was the fairytale story of 5’9″ Isaiah Thomas. The high-scoring point guard was surrounded by lockdown defenders, which helped him run the entire offense by himself. Thomas finished 3rd in scoring behind Russell Westbrook and James Harden, and his offense was truly special to watch. Thomas did his best to lead Boston to the best record in the Eastern Conference, but unfortunately, his stint with the team would be cut short abruptly with a trade during the following offseason.
F Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Statistics: 25.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.6 BPG
No surprise, Kevin Durant would make an All-NBA Team in 2017. Durant was a top-2 small forward in the NBA and still is, as he was the only competition for the throne of LeBron James. Durant did not have to carry an offense as he did with Oklahoma City, because his teammates were simply sensational. But still, Durant deserved an All-NBA Second Team because he was arguably the most unstoppable scorer in the league and greatly improved his defense as well (finishing 9th in blocks).
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2016-17 Statistics: 22.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.9 BPG
The Greek Freak would begin his ascent as one of the best players in the NBA in 2017. Giannis would take his game to a superstar level, winning Most Improved Player and carrying the Bucks to the #6 seed in the East. Giannis was showing scary athleticism and two-way dominance and the league would be put on notice that he is a future MVP in the making.
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2016-17 Statistics: 14.0 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.6 BPG
Rudy Gobert finished 2nd in the NBA in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Draymond Green, as he led the NBA in blocks per game. Gobert wasn’t much of an offensive threat quite yet, but his size and defensive awareness allowed him to have a massive impact on his team. The Jazz finished 5th in the Western Conference and the play of the best interior defender in the NBA was the main reason why.
All-NBA First Team
G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
2016-17 Statistics: 31.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 10.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The MVP of the league, Russell Westbrook averaged a monster triple-double and led the Kevin Durant-less Thunder to the postseason. Westbrook was by far the best player during the regular season and in terms of value to his team, he deserved the All-NBA First Team nomination. Westbrook’s 31.6 PPG average led the NBA as he was unstoppable in every facet of the game.
G James Harden, Houston Rockets
2016-17 Statistics: 29.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
The runner-up for the MVP Award, James Harden fell behind Russell Westbrook because the point guard’s stats were simply ridiculous. Still, The Beard made his claim as the best shooting guard in the NBA and it wasn’t close as he led the Houston Rockets to the #3 seed in the Western Conference behind the Warriors and Spurs. Of course, Harden led the league in assists and total win shares.
F Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
2016-17 Statistics: 25.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
The franchise player for the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard finished 3rd in MVP voting after leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 61-21 record. Kawhi was the most dominant perimeter defender in the NBA as he finished 3rd in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green (who won the award). Of course, it wouldn’t be much longer before Leonard would leave the Spurs.
F LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2016-17 Statistics: 26.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG
The best all-around player in the NBA and the smartest player alive, The King finished 4th in MVP voting in 2017. James was at his usual best, leading the Cavaliers to the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Isaiah Thomas-led Boston Celtics. James finished 8th in PPG and 5th in APG, but his value was clear as he was the driving force behind the team that would reach the Finals at the end of the year.
C Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
2016-17 Statistics: 28.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.2 BPG
The best big man in the game was Anthony Davis. He finished 9th in MVP voting because the Pelicans missed the playoffs with a below .500 record. But in terms of dominance in all areas of the game as a center, Davis was the best by a mile. He ranked 4th in scoring, 7th in rebounds, and 2nd in blocks. Davis was only 23 years old but his All-NBA First Team selection was a sign of things to come.
