On the latest episode of The WAE Show, Lonzo Ball gave his NBA All-Defensive Team for this season and there were a couple of notable omissions in it, with Anthony Davis being one of them.
“I’ll give you my First Team right now,” Ball said. “You need five players, right? (Victor Wembanyama), Jaden McDaniels, Bam Adebayo, damn… Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso.”
It was soon brought to Ball’s attention that he didn’t pick Jrue Holiday and he immediately added him in.
“I’m sick,” Ball stated. “Take Lu Dort out, give me Jrue Holiday… He should have been my third pick.”
Do you agree with the NBA All-Defensive Team lineup? pic.twitter.com/XxzCkhNzE7
— The WAE Show (@TheWAEShow) June 11, 2024
With how well Davis played on defense, I can’t believe how anyone can leave him off their First Team. The 31-year-old is unquestionably one of the very best defenders in the league.
Davis did make the actual NBA All-Defensive First Team, as did one other big name whom Ball snubbed, Rudy Gobert. Gobert helped the Minnesota Timberwolves have the best defensive rating in the NBA this season at 108.4, and I would say was more than deserving of a spot there. You could argue he shouldn’t have won DPOY this year, but I am not sure there is an argument for him to not be on the First Team.
I would put Davis and Gobert in for Alex Caruso and Jaden McDaniels from Ball’s team. They are both great defenders, who made the Second Team this season but are just not as impactful as the two big men.
As for Ball’s other picks, I think he made some good selections there. Victor Wembanyama finished runner-up for DPOY and is an obvious pick. He also made the NBA All-Defensive First Team, as did Bam Adebayo. Jrue Holiday did not make that team but has been arguably the best defender among guards for years now.
Anthony Davis Claims The NBA Will Never Give Him The DPOY Award
Davis has been one of the premier defenders in the NBA for nearly a decade now but has never won DPOY. The nine-time All-Star wasn’t even a finalist this year and was rather unhappy about it. Davis stated he will never win DPOY because the league doesn’t like him.
“They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league. I can switch 1 through 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll the best in the league, from a big standpoint. I block shots. I rebound.”
“I don’t know what else to do. I’m over it. I’m just going to do what I got to do to help the team win and try to play for a championship. Accolades and individual awards, I’m done with those.”
I don’t necessarily believe Davis, who averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game this season, is the best defender in the league. He is certainly in that conversation, though, and it is quite odd that he has never won DPOY.
The closest Davis ever came was in 2020, when he finished runner-up to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Unfortunately for the Lakers star, I think he will end his career without ever winning the award too, thanks to Wembanyama. As long as the Frenchman stays healthy, I don’t see anyone else apart from him winning the award in the coming years.
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