Defense is a lost art in today’s NBA.
Some players who have a reputation for being a good defender often get away with multiple fouls and scrappy moves because of that.
Others don’t get enough recognition for the work they put on that end of the floor because they’re not high-profile guys.
That’s why it’s so difficult to make predictions for the All-Defensive teams.
If anything, just a handful of players stand out.
Considering that, legendary point guard — and former outstanding perimeter defender — Isiah Thomas took to Twitter to share his three locks to make an All-Defensive team this season: Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gobert.
My First team all defense so far I have 3 locks @AntDavis23 @KDTrey5 @rudygobert27
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) March 3, 2024
Needless to say, Gobert seems like a lock at this point.
He’s the odds-on favorite to be named Defensive Player of the Year again, and he could tie Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo with four.
Davis’ shot-blocking and rim-protection skills have been his calling card since he made it to the league.
He also plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, so you know he has everyone’s eyes on him, and people will give him his flowers.
Durant, on the other hand, has never been given enough credit for his stellar defense.
He can guard one through five, even at this point in his career, and he’s always taken pride in checking the opponent’s best scorer, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him make an All-Defense team.
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