Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons named on NBA 2020-21 All-Defensive First Team
Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert and Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons were unanimous selections in the NBA's 2020-21 All-Defensive First Team, while the All-Defensive Second Team features Miami Heat team-mates Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo
Tuesday 15 June 2021 06:25, UK
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons lead the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced on Monday.
Both players received NBA All-Defensive First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 200 points each.
Joining Gobert and Simmons on the NBA All-Defensive First Team are Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (176 points; 80 First Team votes), Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (157 points; 65 First Team votes) and his team-mate forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (135 points; 43 First Team votes).
Gobert, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fifth season in a row. This marks the second straight First Team selection for Simmons, the runner-up for NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. Simmons helped the 76ers finish with the NBA's second-best defensive rating in the regular season, one spot ahead of the Gobert-led Jazz.
Green has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time to go with two Second Team honours. Holiday is a First Team honouree for the second time, while Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has earned his third consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
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The 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (111 points) and guard Jimmy Butler (111), 76ers center Joel Embiid (87) and guard Matisse Thybulle (63), and LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (43).
Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the seventh time. This is the fifth NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Butler, the third for Embiid and the second for Adebayo. Thybulle is making his All-Defensive Team debut in his second NBA season.
The NBA All-Defensive Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team.
Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes.
