2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah led all vote getters for the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
The NBA released the 2014 All-Defensive teams Monday afternoon. Leading the charge was the 2014 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, who led all vote getters. He was the only player to get triple-digit votes for the First Team, tallying 105 such votes as well as another 13 Second Team votes for a total of 223 points.
Noah is joined on the first team by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka and Indiana Pacers forward Paul George—both of whom recently made their playoff exits. Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul and Golden State Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala round out the first five.
Leading the Second Team is four-time MVP and Miami Heat forward LeBron James. He is joined by San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, whom he will be facing in the NBA Finals later this week. Rounding out the second unit is Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler and Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley.
Notably missing from either team is Los Angeles Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Also curious is the inclusion of Hibbert, who, though second in DPOY votes, was less deserving than say, New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis.
During the regular season, both Jordan and Davis had more defensive rebounds and blocks than Hibbert. To further prove the extent to which Hibbert was less deserving, Jordan had more than twice as many defensive rebounds than the Pacers’ center.
A few players around the league reacted to the news on Twitter.
Congrats to my guys @JoakimNoah @mr_2eight1 & @patbev21 making NBA All Defensive teams
— Ronnie Brewer (@RonnieBrewerJr) June 2, 2014
Congrats to my dude Mr. 94 feet @patbev21 on the clamp team!! I’ll still give u 30 tho!! #newsheriff
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) June 2, 2014
Congrats @andre for getting 1st team all Defense! I see ya! — Jodie Meeks (@Jmeeks20) June 2, 2014
Congrats to the man with the hands lol on making 2nd all defensive team…Kawhi Leonard, many more to come I’m sure — Danny Green (@DGreen_14) June 2, 2014
Wow
— Tony Allen (@aa000G9) June 2, 2014
Congrats @patbev21
— Tony Allen (@aa000G9) June 2, 2014
It’s good to see that, while Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen may have been surprised to find that he did not make either the First or Second Team, he was gracious in congratulating Beverley for the achievement. Allen wasn’t the only person surprised to see that he didn’t make the cut.
Wow — PJ Tucker (@PJTUCKER17) June 2, 2014
Wow @aa000G9 didn’t make neither of the defensive teams??? — PJ Tucker (@PJTUCKER17) June 2, 2014
So @aa000G9 didn’t make it??? Lol that’s crazy as hell. he got locks for real
— trevorariza (@TrevorAriza) June 2, 2014
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford came to his big man’s defense.
How was DJ one of the top vote getters for DPOY, but didn’t make first or second team all defense??? Can someone explain please? — Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 2, 2014
The All-Defensive First and Second Team voting is consistently a mystery. Last year, even though he was voted the best defensive player in the league, Grizzlies center Marc Gasol failed to make the First Team.
Perhaps, one of these days, voters will figure out how to get it right.
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Michael Brumagin writes the Tweet of the Day for SheridanHoops.com and is also a correspondent for BleacherReport.com. Follow @mbrumagin
