Giannis, Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons Headline 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Teams
June 14, 2021
Fresh off winning his third Defensive Player of the Year award, Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert on Monday headlined the NBA's All-Defensive team for the 2020-21 season.
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and the Milwaukee Bucks duo of Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo joined him on the first team.
The Sixers held opponents to 45.3 percent shooting and ranked second in defensive rating (107.0), per NBA.com. Naturally, they got rewarded with three of the 10 spots.
This isn't new territory for Simmons and Joel Embiid, who collectively now have five All-Defensive nods. For Matisse Thybulle, this could be the first of many times he's recognized as one of the top defenders in the NBA.
The second-year guard averaged 3.9 steals per 100 possessions, according to Basketball Reference. He also held opposing players to 37.2 percent shooting from the floor and 31.2 percent from beyond the arc, per NBA.com.
In general, the first and second All-Defensive teams included the usual suspects. Thybulle was the only first-timer, while Simmons and Bam Adebayo were the only two who had been recognized just once already. Jimmy Butler earned his fifth nod.
Kawhi Leonard was the most experienced of the bunch, earning an All-Defensive selection for the seventh time.
The Los Angeles Clippers star was the closest to missing out. Leonard collected eight first-team and 27 second-team votes to amass 43 points. Still, 19 points separated him from the next forward, Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner.
Phoenix Suns wing Mikal Bridges earned the most points (39) of other players who received votes. He tallied four first-team votes and 31 second-team votes.
Bridges might be disappointed by missing out, but he can console himself by focusing on the Suns' Western Conference Finals series. The 24-year-old is also eligible for an extension this summer, so he could be looking at a big payday in the near future.