Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis was named to the All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced on Tuesday. Davis was joined Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones on the First Team.
The Second Team consists of Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels and Celtics guard Jrue Holiday.
The accolade comes as no surprise for Davis as he put forth an outstanding year on both ends of the court and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Davis ranked third in the NBA with 12.6 rebounds per game and fourth with 2.6 blocks while also adding 1.2 steals per game. In fact, Davis and Wembanyama were the only two players to average at least two blocks and one steal this year.
While the Lakers as a team were very hit or miss defensively, it was Davis who anchored them when it was really time lock down. The big man was not only one of the premier rim protectors, but also contained wings on the perimeter when switched out, making him one of the most versatile defenders the league has to offer.
Overall, Davis garnered 60 First Team votes and 151 total points, giving him the nod for the final First Team spot over Caruso:
The complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Defensive Team: pic.twitter.com/k3FODNJ0YU
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2024
Many felt Davis should have been named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year period, but this is still a nice acknowledgement for the outstanding season he had. This is Davis’ fifth All-Defensive Team selection and the third time he has made the First Team.
But at this stage of his career, Davis is far more focused on team success than individual accolades. The Lakers star believes he has been snubbed previously from winning Defensive Player of the Year but is putting that behind him as he looks to win more NBA Championships.
This season as a whole served as a reminder to the rest of the world that Davis is one of the best two-way players in the league and he received his recognition for that.
Davis joins Kobe Bryant (nine times), Michael Cooper (five), Jerry West (four), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (three) and Wilt Chamberlain (two) as multiple NBA All-Defensive First Team honorees as members of the Lakers.
Anthony Davis’ relationship with James Borrego a factor in Lakers head coach search?
Currently, Anthony Davis is waiting to see who the Lakers hire as their next head coach, just like many others. And one candidate in particular could have a leg up thanks to a prior relationship with Davis.
Recent rumors suggest that James Borrego’s relationship with Davis could potentially play a factor for the Lakers in this process. The two crossed paths briefly when Davis was drafted to the then-New Orleans Hornets where Borrego was an assistant coach.
The main reason for this potentially being a factor is that the Lakers want the next head coach to lead the next era of this franchise with Davis as the face once LeBron James retires. So getting the most out of the big man is a must, and Borrego very well could know how to do that.
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