Just hours after his defensive performance helped win a playoff game, one NBA star was left off the list of this year’s All-Defensive selections.
The NBA revealed on Tuesday the ten players who had earned All-Defensive Team nods for the 2022-23 campaign. Alex Caruso (Chicago), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), Brook Lopez (Milwaukee), and Evan Mobley (Cleveland) made the First Team. Bam Adebayo (Miami), OG Anunoby (Toronto), Dillon Brooks (Memphis), Draymond Green (Golden State), and Derrick White (Boston) rounded out the Second Team.
The 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team!
▪️ Alex Caruso (@chicagobulls)
▪️ Jrue Holiday (@Bucks)
▪️ Jaren Jackson Jr. (@memgrizz)
▪️ Brook Lopez (@Bucks)
▪️ Evan Mobley (@cavs)@Kia | #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/eqAxbqxCtV— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2023
The 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team!
▪️ Bam Adebayo (@MiamiHEAT)
▪️ OG Anunoby (@Raptors)
▪️ Dillon Brooks (@memgrizz)
▪️ Draymond Green (@warriors)
▪️ Derrick White (@celtics)@Kia | #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/qqXvV9Kllv— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2023
Perhaps the single biggest omission was that of Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis. Many online (mostly Lakers fans) expressed outrage over Davis not being selected. It was so much so that the phrases “No Anthony Davis” and “No AD” started trending on Twitter.
Anthony Davis looking at the All-Defense teams without him pic.twitter.com/bMfUYodLIM
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 9, 2023
No Anthony Davis https://t.co/eC3Vcoj3tD
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 9, 2023
No AD tells you all you need to know about the credibility of the voting. Just embarrassing for the league but aligns with the level of discourse that we continually see in the majority of #NBA coverage https://t.co/aurmt7q3ke
— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) May 9, 2023
Davis is a four-time All-Defensive selection who averaged 1.1 steals, 2.0 blocks, and a career-high 12.5 rebounds per game this season. On top of being an elite rim protector, Davis is almost as good when it comes to locking down the perimeter as well.
But this may all boil down to a games-played argument. Davis was limited to 56 games by a foot injury this season. Meanwhile, others like Marcus Smart (last season’s Defensive Player of the Year) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (the 2019-20 DPOY) were left off the list as well. Smart played 61 games, and Antetokounmpo played 63. Of the ten players who were All-Defensive selections this season, all played 67 games or more besides Jackson (who played in 63 but was other-worldly in those games and already won DPOY for this season).
There is little doubt though that Davis has been one of the NBA’s most impactful defenders this postseason. We will see if Davis takes the All-Defensive snub personally like he did with the Golden State Warriors’ gameplan against him on Monday night.
