Giannis, AD, Gobert headline All-Defense picks

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The top three vote-getters for this year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert — headlined this year’s All-Defensive Teams, which were announced by the NBA on Tuesday night.

Antetokounmpo, who won this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, received 97 out of 100 possible first-team votes and finished with 195 points, leading the voting. He was followed by Davis (87 first-team votes and 187 points), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (88 first-team votes, 185 points), Gobert (85 first-team votes, 180 points) and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (57 first-place votes, 152 points).

It is the second straight season that both Antetokounmpo and Smart have been named to the first team, while Gobert — who won the previous two DPOY awards — has now been named the first-team center four straight times. Davis now has two first- and two second-team selections in his career, while this is the first time Simmons has made either of the all-league defensive teams.

The All-Defense Second Team consisted of LA Clippers teammates Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley, Bucks teammates Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe, and Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo.

The Bucks became the first team to have three players named to the two All-Defensive teams since the 2012-13 Memphis Grizzlies (Tony Allen, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol).

Because of the changes to the league’s calendar due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is no longer an end-of-season awards show like there has been in recent seasons. Instead, the league has reverted to its old tradition of handing out hardware during the playoffs.

The only individual award left to be given out is the league’s Most Valuable Player award — which Antetokounmpo, who missed Game 5 of Milwaukee’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against Miami on Tuesday because of a sprained right ankle, is expected to win for a second season in a row.

The other remaining honors still to be announced are the league’s two All-Rookie teams, as well as its three All-NBA teams.