Building All-NBA Playoff 1st and 2nd Teams So Far
The first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs is in the books, and there have been some absolutely amazing performances.
Now, it's time to name our All-NBA playoff first and second teams so far.
Let's start with the criteria.
These teams are following a similar format to the regular-season All-NBA teams. That means teams will be position-based, not just the top 10 players in the playoffs. There will be four guards, four forwards and two centers.
Furthermore, players must have played in the majority of their team's playoff games. Being on the winning side definitely gives candidates a leg up.
With the criteria set, there were some tough cuts. Giannis Antetokounmpo played only 11 minutes in Game 1 and then missed Games 2 and 3. Anthony Edwards was amazing but was eliminated in just five games.
1st Team Forward: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
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If there was a first-round playoff MVP, it would unanimously go to Jimmy Butler for his dismantling of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler not only led in first-round scoring, he also did it in extremely efficient fashion, shooting 59.7 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three.
The three-point shooting has been the biggest jump for Butler. He went from attempting 1.6 threes in the regular season to 5.4 in Round 1. Miami put Milwaukee on the brink of elimination behind a 56-point, nine-rebound performance from Butler in Game 4, and the 56 points were the most points scored in the first round this year.
Butler set the tone at the start of Game 5 with a four-play sequence where he blocked a three-point shot turning it into a dunk, then forcing a turnover and hitting a pull-up three. But it was the fourth quarter where Butler rose to the occasion all series long, averaging 13.7 points in the final frame.
Oh, and of course there was the amazing tip-in to force overtime. Butler did everything for the Heat and proved that "Playoff Jimmy" exists, and he continued his dominance to start Round 2.
On Sunday, Butler and the Heat got their second round going with a 108-101 road win over the No. 5 seed New York Knicks. Butler led the way for Miami with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
1st Team Guard: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
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Devin Booker has been flat-out amazing this postseason. Two 40-point performances and the lowest scoring output was in the Suns' Round 1, Game 1 loss—and that was a 26-point night.
Booker shot an absurd 60.2 percent from the field in the first round. All of that goes with his 46.7 percent from three, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
Booker's impact goes beyond big numbers on offense. He was simply outstanding defensively in the series against the Clippers. He led the playoffs in steals per game at 2.6 but more importantly came up with critical stops at the end of games.
The Suns will need every bit of this type of performance from Booker going forward considering how little depth they have. He has already averaged 43.2 minutes over five playoff games, second only to his teammate Kevin Durant.
Although the Suns fell short in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets in the second round, Booker had a 27-point showing on 10-of-19 shooting. His ability to perform on both ends is what landed him on the All-NBA playoff first team, and it's what Phoenix will need to get past Denver.
1st Team Forward: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
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Even though Jayson Tatum was not able to match his scoring output from the regular season, he did everything else for Boston. He led the Celtics in rebounds, assists and, of course, points in their first series.
More important than Tatum improving his rebounds and assists, he did so while averaging fewer turnovers. That is an impressive feat considering he faces the opponent's best defenders and is constantly the focus of defensive schemes. All of this while averaging just below 40 minutes a game in the first round.
As complete as this Celtics team is, they will only go as far as Tatum takes them. He's off to a good start because of his willingness to do all the other things when his shot is not falling.
1st Team Guard: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
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For the first time in Stephen Curry's career he went down 0-2 in a playoff series. He responded with a season-saving game, dropping 36 points on 6-of-12 from three. Then to top everything off, Curry put up a 50 burger in Game 7 on the road to clinch the series for the Warriors.
There were definitely moments where Steph was just Steph, meaning he was just hitting shots that make no sense, like the behind-the-backboard rainbow three in Game 1. His 37.5 percent from three is not up to the Curry standard we are used to seeing.
Even with the mortal-like three-point percentage, Curry absolutely destroyed the Kings in Game 7 with unbelievable finishing around the rim. Over and over again, he got to the basket with ease against the Kings to put the game to bed.
But it has been his defense that has stood out to the committee of one. On the final possession of Game 4 up one but down 2-1 in this series, Curry's biggest play was on defense that no one noticed. He threw off De'Aaron Fox's timing with a great show on the pick and then provided a late contest on Harrison Barnes to seal the win.
A small-sample-size stat to show Curry's importance is a 37.8 swing when Curry is on the court versus when he is off.
1st Team Center: Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
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There might not be another player who has more riding on the playoffs, legacy-wise, than Nikola Jokić. Fair or not, it seems he has to justify past MVPs with a deep run. He is off to a good start after averaging a near triple-double in the first round.
Jokić finished the series against the Timberwolves putting up 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 rebounds for the whole series. Jokić gave Karl-Anthony Towns fits with his craftiness in the post, and his masterpiece came in Game 5 when he dropped 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists as the Nuggets moved on to the second round.
The center field is not crowded, but Jokić is leading all centers in scoring by a 5.6-point margin. His impact, however, has gone beyond that, as he also is second in rebounds and is shooting 50.0 percent from three on 4.4 attempts.
With Round 1 in the books, Jokić got off to an ideal start to the second round. He had a 24-point, 19-rebound, five-assist showing in a 125-107 win over the Phoenix Suns.
2nd Team Guard: De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
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De'Aaron Fox was electric in his very first playoffs. He went toe-to-toe with championship-tested Stephen Curry. He averaged 27.4 points, 7.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds for the series. All of those numbers are improvements on what he did in the regular season.
Fox's defense was great as well. Heading into Game 7, he was second in steals per game at 2.5, and more importantly, he did a great job of hounding Curry. His effort has not gone unnoticed as he chased Curry over the top of screens and provided rearview contests.
This was just his first playoff series, but Fox has not been afraid of the moment. In four clutch games, Fox averaged 5.0 points and shot 66.7 percent from three in those final five minutes. Not surprising from the first Jerry West award recipient.
Oh, it should also be mentioned Fox was playing with a broken finger suffered during Game 4. And it didn't slow him down at all.
2nd Team Guard: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
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The start of the second round wasn't ideal for the New York Knicks, who fell 108-101 to the Miami Heat. Jalen Brunson also struggled to shoot despite 25 points to go with five rebounds and seven assists. But the Knicks are in Round 2 for the first time since 2013, and Brunson is a big reason why.
Brunson's numbers will not blow you away, but he led the Knicks in scoring at 24.0 points a night in Round 1. More importantly, whenever they needed a big basket, he was there.
Sometimes being the stabilizing force is more important than being a dominant scorer. The key to Brunson's success is that he gets off the ball quickly when teams double. The Cavs were aggressive with their pick-and-roll defense. Brunson moved the ball quickly and opened up opportunities for his teammates.
Make no mistake about it: If the defense gives Brunson too much space, he'll take advantage of that and score.
Even though the numbers have not been eye-popping, Brunson's value is in keeping the Knicks from knicking... If Julius Randle or RJ Barrett drift away from playing the right way, Brunson is there to pull them back to shore and keep them on track. The stability that he provides is more valuable than anything else. In a small sample size of five first-round games, the offense was 37.7 points better when he was on the floor versus off.
That swing is why Brunson is making the second team.
2nd Team Forward: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
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It might surprise some that Jaylen Brown was the most efficient Celtic in their six-game series. He's living in the 50 percent field-goal/50 percent three-point club, and that puts him on the second team.
Brown's impressive shooting comes off a high usage rate which, in turn, led to him being second on the team in scoring, averaging 26.7 points against the Hawks. In the last three games of the series, Brown put up 31, 35, and 32 points as Boston got past Atlanta.
Defensively, the Celtics' had a defensive rating of 110.8 when Brown was on the floor, which was 3.5 better than their overall defensive rating.
It is not uncommon for there to be nights when Brown is the best Celtic on the floor.
2nd Team Forward: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
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It feels odd to put someone who averaged 28.4 points and was in the 50/40/90 shooting splits club on the second team, but that is where Kevin Durant has landed.
It feels as if he hasn't had a massive, overwhelming Durant game. Some of that was due to how the Clippers were sending the farm at him, and some of that was Devin Booker going completely off.
All of that isn't to say Durant has been bad in the playoffs; he's been outstanding. Durant was second on the Suns in rebounds at 7.6 and third in assists with 6.2. He played the most minutes out of any Sun as well, playing 219 minutes out of a total of 240.
Even though Durant never scored fewer than 25 points in the series, it felt like he never truly erupted the way Booker did. However, there is no way the Suns would have moved in that series without Durant drawing most of the defensive attention away from Booker.
Now against the Nuggets, Durant and the Suns find themselves down 0-1 to tip off the series. Durant went for a team-high 29 points (12-of-19 FG) and 14 rebounds, but the Suns still fell 125-107.
2nd Team Center: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers upset the Memphis Grizzlies, and a big part of it was the defense of Anthony Davis. He was an anchor patrolling the paint, leading the first round in blocks with 4.3 a night, nearly two blocks higher than second place.
Davis opened up the playoffs with a seven-block night. Yes, you read that correctly—SEVEN blocks. He also sealed the series-clinching win with a five-block night. More impressive was that in the first half of Game 6, he held the Grizzlies to 0.27 points per shot in the paint. He set the tone and was sending Memphis home for good.
Davis did more than put a lid around the rim in the series. His 13.7 rebounds a night put him second in that category in the first round. His scoring was more of a secondary responsibility this series, and he averaged 20.8 points through six games.
If Davis scored at a higher clip, he would have made a run at the first team, but his defense in the first round is what earned him the second-team spot.
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