Jaren Jackson Jr., Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez lead All-Defensive team.
The NBA presented its All-Defensive First Team on Tuesday afternoon, with Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the group. Jackson was voted the league's defensive player of the year last month.
The two other candidates for the top defensive award, Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez and Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley, as well as Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, were all included on the first team.
Five players were selected for the league's All-Defensive Second Team, including Dillon Brooks, a teammate of Jackson's. Along with him were the Boston Celtics' Derrick White, the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo, the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green, and the Toronto Raptors' O.G. Anunoby.
With at least 75 of the 100 ballots cast, including at least 49 first-place votes for each of the five players nominated to the first team, they all easily made it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, a forward with the Bucks, received more overall votes (44) and points (60) than Adebayo (40 and 53, respectively). However, Adebayo received votes at center, while Antetokounmpo received votes at forward, giving the Heat big man the second-team All-Defense center spot.
After becoming the second-youngest player in NBA history to earn Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson, who led the league with 3.0 blocks, was named to the All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row. Lopez, on the other hand, earned his second All-Defense selection of his career after leading the league with 1,362 contested shots and blocking 2.5 attempts per game.
Holiday and Lopez helped the Bucks to the NBA's third-best defense this season, earning Holiday his fifth All-Defense selection in the previous six seasons.
As one of the league's most adaptable defensive bigs in just his second season, Mobley worked with Jarrett Allen at the center to power the NBA's finest defense.
With Caruso on the court, the Bulls were six points per 100 possessions better defensively this season, which helped Chicago surprise by finishing with the fifth-best defense.
Following the league's release of its all-rookie teams on Monday, the all-defensive team was revealed. The league will announce its All-NBA teams on Wednesday night, and the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award presentation on Thursday afternoon will mark the conclusion of the last week of award voting.