Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Photo: AP/Morry Gash

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 9, 2020/ — NBA All-Defensive First Team: Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, Rudy Gobert and Marcus Smart; NBA (www.NBA.com) All-Defensive Second Team: Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez, Bam Adebayo, Patrick Beverley and Eric Bledsoe.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, leads the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced today.

Antetokounmpo received 97 NBA All-Defensive First Team votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 195 total points. This marks the second straight NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Antetokounmpo, who also made the Second Team in 2016-17.

Joining Antetokounmpo on the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team are Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (187 points; 87 First Team votes), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (185 points; 88 First Team votes), Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (180 points; 85 First Team votes) and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (152 points; 57 First Team votes).

Davis, who finished in second place for the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time to go with two Second Team honors. This is the fourth consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Gobert, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Smart has been selected to the First Team for the second season in a row. Simmons is a First Team choice in his NBA All-Defensive Team debut.

The 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (128 points), Bucks center Brook Lopez (67), Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (61), Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (60) and Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (59).

Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the sixth time. This is the third NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Beverley and the second for Bledsoe. Adebayo and Lopez join Simmons as first-time selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team.

With the selection of Antetokounmpo to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and Lopez and Bledsoe to the Second Team, the Bucks are the first team to have at least three players named to the NBA All-Defensive Team since the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012-13 (Tony Allen, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol).

Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes. 

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA All-Defensive Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards. 

The voting results for the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Team are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at pr.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

2019-20 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM

PositionPlayer (Team)1st Team Votes(2 Points)2nd Team Votes(1 Point)TotalPointsCareer All-Defensive Team Selections
 
ForwardGiannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)9711953 (two 1st, one 2nd)
ForwardAnthony Davis (L.A. Lakers)87131874 (two 1st, two 2nd)
GuardBen Simmons (Philadelphia)8891851 (one 1st)
CenterRudy Gobert (Utah)85101804 (four 1st)
GuardMarcus Smart (Boston)57381522 (two 1st)

2019-20 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM

PositionPlayer (Team)1st Team Votes (2 Points)2nd Team Votes (1 Point)TotalPointsCareer All-Defensive Team Selections
 
ForwardKawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)33621286 (three 1st, three 2nd)
CenterBrook Lopez (Milwaukee)361671 (one 2nd)
ForwardBam Adebayo (Miami)747611 (one 2nd)
GuardPatrick Beverley (LA Clippers)1530603 (one 1st, two 2nd)
GuardEric Bledsoe (Milwaukee)745592 (one 1st, one 2nd)

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Team, listed at the position at which they received the most votes.  The “Total Points” category represents points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: GUARDS

Player (Team)1st Team Votes(2 Points)2nd Team Votes
(1 Point)
TotalPoints
 
Kris Dunn (Chicago)42331
Kyle Lowry (Toronto)41523
Jrue Holiday (New Orleans)21418
Chris Paul (Oklahoma City)4513
Paul George (LA Clippers)033
Jaylen Brown (Boston)*022
Luka Dončić (Dallas)102
James Harden (Houston)102
Donte DiVincenzo (Milwaukee)022
Dejounte Murray (San Antonio)022
Fred VanVleet (Toronto)022
Avery Bradley (Los Angeles Lakers)011
Damian Lillard (Portland)011
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee)011
Russell Westbrook (Houston)011

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: FORWARDS

Player (Team)1st Team Votes(2 Points)2nd Team Votes(1 Point)TotalPoints
 
P.J. Tucker (Houston)02929
Jimmy Butler (Miami)12628
Jayson Tatum (Boston)02020
Pascal Siakam (Toronto)1810
LeBron James (L.A. Lakers)157
Myles Turner (Indiana)055
OG Anunoby (Toronto)022
Aron Baynes (Phoenix)011
Jonathan Isaac (Orlando)011
Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas)011
Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia)011

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: CENTERS

Player (Team)1st Team Votes(2 Points)2nd Team Votes(1 Point)TotalPoints
 
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia)1911
Andre Drummond (Cleveland)102
Hassan Whiteside (Portland)022
Steven Adams (Oklahoma City)011
Jarrett Allen (Brooklyn)011

*Jaylen Brown received one Second Team vote at guard and one Second Team vote at forward.