All NBA Teams 2012: Breaking Down the Votes and Selections

The All-NBA teams were announced to the public on Wednesday and, for the most part, the voters got it right.

If nothing else, their picks are all easily defensible, with, at most, a chosen few snubs—Steve Nash? LaMarcus Aldridge?—worthy of particular consideration.

Nitpicking aside, this year's chosen 15 features five players for whom selection is a first-time honor, including: a former Rookie of the Year, a former Most Improved Player of the Year, a Defensive Player of the Year and three NBA champions (one of whom overlaps with the former three).

Without further ado, let's have a look at who made the grade, with vote totals gathered from Pro Basketball Talk.

Follow @Josh_E_Martin

LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat, All-NBA First Team, 596 Votes

You'll get no argument from me about LeBron James' place on the All-NBA First Team. The Miami Heat star was not only the league's Most Valuable Player (for the third time in four years), but also it's best player overall. James ranked third in scoring (27.1 point per game), third in steals (1.9), 13th in assists (6.2), 12th in field goal percentage (53.1 percent) and pulled down 7.9 rebounds per game on the way to the highest Player Efficiency Rating (30.7 according to Basketball Reference) in the Association.

On top of all of that, he was among the best defenders on the planet, for which he earned his fourth consecutive selection to the All-Defensive First Team.

It's no wonder, then, that LeBron garnered more votes than anyone else and, as a result, finds himself amongst the NBA's Fab Five for the fifth year running and the sixth time overall.

The only controversy? Two voters, for whatever reason, opted to leave LeBron off the First Team entirely.  

Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder, All-NBA First Team, 591 Votes

Kevin Durant came in just five votes shy of LeBron in the final tally, a gap that may seem to narrow to some, but is ultimately indicative of what's still to come for the 23-year-old phenom.

The placement itself, though, is entirely fitting for the Durantula, who finished second in the MVP race behind King James. Durant won his third straight scoring title while upping his shooting (49.6 percent from the field), rebounding (8.0 per game) and assists numbers (3.5 per game) and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the second-best record in the Western Conference.

At this rate, it won't be long before Durant overtakes LeBron as the best player in the world and holds down the throne for some time.

For now, he'll have to settle for second place and a third straight First-Team appearance, which isn't all that bad for a skinny kid his age. 

Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers, All-NBA First Team, 568 Votes

Too old. Too slow. Too banged-up. Too selfish.

Kobe Bryant heard all of these criticisms and—after a not-so-clandestine trip to Germany to have his knees rejuvenated—used them as fuel to stoke the flames of yet another First-Team performance.

Not that the honor is anything new for the Black Mamba. After all, he's been a Fab Five performer on 10 occasions, including each of the last seven, and hasn't not been on an All-NBA team of some sort since the 1997-98 season.

Which, by the way, was his second in the NBA.

Bryant played much younger this season than his age (33) would suggest. He ceded the scoring title to Durant in one of the closest races in league history while chipping in 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals.

Whether he has (or will be able) to shoulder such a heavy burden for the Lakers next time around will likely depend on which (or how many) All-NBA performers he'll have at his side.

Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers, All-NBA First Team, 484 Votes

There's an argument to be made for Chris Paul as the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

But, with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy already in LeBron's mitts, the least the league and its affiliates could do was reward CP3's performance as the best point guard in the game.

Which is precisely what they did, as well they should. Paul produced per-game averages of 19.8 points (13th in the NBA), 9.1 assists (third) and 2.5 assists (first), all of which contributed heavily to his second-best PER and allowed him to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to arguably the most successful season in franchise history.

The honor marks Paul's second appearance on the All-NBA First Team, after a season in which he also earned his second spot on the All-Defensive First Team, and the first such honor for a Clippers player since Bob McAdoo did it as a member of the Buffalo Braves in 1975.

Dwight Howard, C, Orlando Magic, All-NBA First Team, 476 Votes

Say what you want about his off-court antics or the fact that he missed more that twice as many games (12) this season as he had in his previous seven (five), but there's no denying that Dwight Howard is still the best center in the NBA.

Howard's health contributed to the end of his reign as the league's Defensive Player of the Year, though that didn't keep him off the All-Defensive First Team for the fourth year running.

As far as stats are concerned, Superman was his usual, stellar self amidst a firestorm of controversy that he helped to create around the Orlando Magic. He picked up his fourth rebounding crown (14.5 boards per game) while picking up 20.6 points (11th in the NBA) on 57.3 percent shooting (second), 2.1 blocks (third), 1.5 steals (14th) and 1.9 assists.

The only question left, after Howard recovers from season-ending back surgery, is, where will he play next?

Andrew Bynum, C, Los Angeles Lakers, All-NBA Second Team, 400 Votes

Andrew Bynum parlayed a breakout season, during which he was chosen by the fans for his first All-Star Game, into his first-ever appearance on an All-NBA team.

Though inconsistent and pestilent at times, Bynum still managed to score 18.7 points (20th in the NBA), rip down 11.8 rebounds (third) and block 1.9 shots (sixth) per game.

Bynum's immaturity and lack of perpetual focus didn't stop him from overcoming his past injury problems and establishing himself as the second-best center in the league at the tender age of 24.

Regardless of whether or not he's still a Laker next season. 

Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs, All-NBA Second Team, 367 Votes

Tim Duncan might still be the face of the San Antonio Spurs, but they're undoubtedly Tony Parker's team now.

The fleet-footed Frenchman was the engine driving the Spurs' return to the top of the Western Conference by way of the NBA's best record at 50-16. Parker's pure production—18.3 points, a career-high 7.7 assists—wasn't exactly on par with some of his peers (i.e. Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash and Deron Williams).

But his inclusion on the Second Team is as much a testament to his own performance as it is to that of the team that he has on the path to yet another NBA title. 

Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves, All-NBA Second Team, 365 Votes

Kevin Love's first selection to an All-NBA squad speaks volumes of his work ethic and persistent determination to improve from game to game and season to season. The fourth-year stud out of UCLA emerged from the lockout slimmer and trimmer than ever, and used that newfound fitness to establish himself as the best power forward on the planet.

Love led the Minnesota Timberwolves in scoring (26.0 points per game, fourth in the NBA) and rebounding (13.3 boards per game, second in the NBA) while establishing himself as the bigger, taller half of a burgeoning Dynamic Duo alongside rookie point guard Ricky Rubio.

Love's combination of inside-out skill and sound rebounding ability has him destined for greatness in the near future, despite a latent lack of athleticism.

Russell Westbrook, G, Oklahoma City Thunder, All-NBA Second Team, 239 Votes

Kevin Love isn't the only former Bruin on the All-NBA Second Team.

He's joined in that regard by Russell Westbrook, who made his debut on this particular squad last season. Both contributed tremendously to the last of UCLA's three consecutive Final Four appearances under Ben Howland, and both did plenty to earn consideration among the top 10 players in basketball.

Westbrook proved to be much more than just a trusty sidekick for Kevin Durant on the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. The aggressive guard saw his assists dip, from 8.2 to 5.5 per game, but upped his scoring average to a career-best 23.6 points per game (fifth in the NBA).

Stats aside, Westy continued to establish himself as both one of the most athletic defenders in the league and one of the toughest players to guard, be it one-on-one or as a team.

It certainly doesn't hurt Russell's case, either, that his Thunder emerged as a legitimate NBA title contender this season.

Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers, All-NBA Second Team, 170 Votes

Criticize Blake Griffin's game all you want—he's a serial flopper, he complains to the refs too much, he can't hit free throws, his post game is atrocious.

But you have to admit, for a guy who's just finished his second NBA season, Griffin's doing pretty well for himself.

The Clippers' controversial All-Star was one of three players to average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game this season, after pulling off the very same feat as a rookie in 2010-11.

Not bad for a kid whose entire game is predicated on running fast, jumping high and playing harder than just about anyone in The Association.

Dwyane Wade, SG, Miami Heat, All-NBA Third Team, 235 Votes

Dwyane Wade picked up enough votes to warrant a spot on the Second Team, but finds himself on the Third Team by way of circumstance. He drew more favor from voters than did Blake Griffin, though Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook soaked up enough ballots to fill the spots at guard ahead of him.

In any case, Wade's fourth straight All-NBA selection (and seventh overall) is as well-deserved as any. 

To be sure, Wade's numbers in scoring (22.1 points per game) and rebounding (4.8 per game) were down significantly in Year 2 of the Heatles Experiment. Missing 17 games to injury certainly didn't help.

Nonetheless, he was undeniably a crucial component of Miami's repeat as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and still stands as no worse than the NBA's second-best shooting guard, behind only Kobe Bryant.

Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks, All-NBA Third Team, 154 Votes

Rag on Carmelo Anthony's defense, his inability to mesh with his teammates and/or his role as a coach killer all you want, but give the man his due as one of the best pure scorers in the NBA.

'Melo managed 22.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest, despite missing 11 games and being misused by Mike D'Antoni for much of the season.

Anthony's fifth All-NBA selection is certainly a bittersweet one, as it comes on the heels of yet another first-round playoff exit and prior to an offseason of uncertainty and intrigue for the New York Knicks.

Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics, All-NBA Third Team, 142 Votes

There's no question that Rajon Rondo's first All-NBA selection is well-deserved. After all, he led the league in assists at 11.7 per game—along with 11.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals—and wound up on an All-Defensive squad for the fourth year running.

But did he deserve to be picked ahead of Steve Nash, who, at the age of 38, averaged 12.5 points, 10.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting a career-high-tying 53.2 percent from the field?

I'm inclined to side with Rondo on account of his defensive superiority and the fact that his team is in the playoffs while Nash's isn't, though the elder statesman is worthy of whatever attention he gets for humming right along in his late 30s.

Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks, All-NBA Third Team, 136 Votes

A case could also be made against Dirk Nowitzki, Nash's former teammate. Dirk's numbers (21.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists) were among his worst since his second NBA season. The fact that he took a week off during the compressed campaign to get himself in playing shape doesn't help his case either.

That being said, LaMarcus Aldridge's stats (21.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists) weren't so much better as to warrant breaking Nowitzki's All-NBA selection streak, which now stands at 12 seasons.

Especially since Dirk's Dallas Mavericks made the playoffs (albeit unimpressively) while Aldridge's Portland Trail Blazers tanked in the second half of the season.

Tyson Chandler, C, New York Knicks, All-NBA Third Team, 60 Votes

You could make a case for including Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies as the third center on the All-NBA squad. He averaged career-highs with 14.6 points and 3.1 assists along with 8.9 rebounds while serving as the cornerstone of the Grizzlies' return to the playoffs.

But can you really deny Tyson Chandler the recognition that he deserves for the tremendous season that he had?

Chandler averaged 11.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his first season with the New York Knicks, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year as a result.

Most impressively, Chandler led the league in field goal percentage at 67.9 percent, a stat that ranks as the best in NBA history posted by anyone other than Wilt Chamberlain.