5 players snubbed from 2024 NBA All-Defensive First Team ft. Giannis Antetokounmpo
The list for the NBA All-Defensive First Team is out and players like Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama made it to the first team. Some of the players got their due credit after being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team or the Second Team.
However, there were also players who did not get their proper recognition despite showcasing amazing talent in the season so far. With that in mind, here is the list of the top five players who missed the 2024 NBA All-Defensive First Team.
5 players snubbed from the 2024 NBA All-Defensive First Team
#5 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can easily be counted as one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. He is arguably the best defender on the Denver Nuggets squad right now.
When the season started, KCP had already decided his goal was to either make it to the All-Defensive First Team or Defensive Player of The Year award. Unfortunately, none of it could happen for the Denver Nuggets guard. This season, KCP averaged 0.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
#4 Luguentz Dort
Luguentz Dort had the best season on the defensive end of the floor this season. Dort has been trying to build his defensive identity for many years and it seems like this was the year he could have made a name for himself. This season, Dort was one of the best guards on the defensive end.
Dort played 79 games for the OKC Thunder this season and missed only three. In those 79 games, he averaged 0.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. His defensive numbers do not reflect his presence on the floor. Dort was only two points behind Jrue Holiday for the All-Defensive Second Team.
#3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was tied with De’Aaron Fox for the most steals per game in the NBA in the 2024 season. To see that the league steals leader did not make the All-NBA Defensive Team seems absurd.
SGA finished second place in MVP voting this season, but his defensive intensity and impact were clearly scrapped after being left off the NBA All-Defensive First Team. This season, he averaged 2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. SGA also finished seventh in the Defensive Player of The Year award.
#2 Chet Holmgren
It is quite unusual for a player to average over 2 blocks per game and miss the Defensive Team accolades altogether. Chet Holmgren’s snub from NBA All-Defensive First Team speaks a lot about the close race between the Defensive First and Second Team in the NBA.
To Holmgren’s credit, he played and started all of OKC Thunder’s 82 games this season. In those 82 games, Holmgren averaged 7.9 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo was arguably the biggest snub from the All-NBA Defensive First Team of all the players. Although his defensive numbers clearly speak for themselves, Antetokounmpo’s defense had made him one of the early front runners for the Defensive Player of The Year award. He was 9th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Antetokounmpo played 73 games this season and finished the season with strong defensive stops. He averaged 11.5 rebounds per game. Antetokounmpo also averaged 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season.