So that's how Kobe made NBA All-Defensive first team
First he got passed over for the Defensive Player of the Year award, in favor of Superman, Dwight Howard. Then his team got bounced from the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks. Next he got beat out for the MVP award by The King, LeBron James. In the most recent pimp-slap levied against the Miami Heat star, today Dwyane Wade was left off of the NBA All-Defensive first team. Flash made it onto the Second Team, which is a bit of a back-handed compliment for the runner-up in steals.
The real criminal here is Kobe Bryant. Dwight Howard gets first team because he lead the league in blocks and rebounds (and stole the Defensive Player of the Year award). Chris Paul gets the nod because he lead the league in steals. LeBron makes it because of his all-around greatness. He ranked 27th in the NBA in rebounds, 8th in steals and 23rd in blocks. Kevin Garnett is another questionable call, only because he played in just 57 games. Year in and year out he’s an elite defender, and when he was healthy, this year was no different. But a case could be made for Tim Duncan, another elite defender at the power forward position.
Dwyane Wade had a block party during the entire season
So then we’re left with Kobe. How did he make it onto the NBA All-Defensive first team? Was it his rebounding, could be. He did rank 60th in the NBA where as D-Wade only ranked 65th. Was it his steals, doubt it. He only ranked 12th, while Wade was perched at the number 2 spot. What about his blocks, no way. Kobe ranked 74th in the association in blocks. Wade ranked 16th. That’s right, 16th. As a shooting guard.
I don’t know what the coaches of the NBA were watching, I really don’t. I guess there just aren’t enough coaches like Rick Adelman and Jerry Sloan that really appreciate a good defender.
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1 Comment So Far
9:56 PM
How can Kobe be the criminal here? Perennially he’s just as elite a defender as [Garnett] anyone in the league. Kobe has been a 1st team All-Defense selection since the ’02–’03 season with the lone exception being the ’04–’05 season (Bryant’s first selection was for his efforts during the ’99-’00 season). Let’s also look at Kobe’s defensive efforts on Team USA this past summer. He personally asked Coach K to be matched up against the opposing team’s best offensive [guard/forward] threat. His defensive efforts so inspired his Team USA teammates that they rededicated themselves to the defensive end during the regular season for their respective clubs. Is it a coincidence that Chris Paul, LeBron James & Dwight Howard (who went from 2nd Team All Defense last year to Defensive MVP this year) each made the 1st Team All Defense? I think not.
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