NBA All-Defensive Team 2017: Draymond Green leads vote getters with 198 points

Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, and Kawhi Leonard were the leading vote-getters for the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team, all receiving more than 90 first-place votes. Patrick Beverly and Chris Paul rounded the team out.

Green, Gobert, and Leonard are all in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, so their selection here indicates the voting may be closer than we think.

Both Gobert and Beverley are being named to the first team for the first time in their careers. This is Paul’s seventh time being named to the first team, while both Green and Leonard are being named to the team for the third time in a row.

The Golden State Warriors, San Antionio Spurs, and Utah Jazz all posted the three best defensive ratings in the league this season behind the play of their three defensive player of the year candidates.

Paul led all who played at least 60 games this season and at least 15 minutes per game in steal percentage with a 36.8 percent rate. He’s the OG on this list, but his defense hasn’t tailed off dramatically at all. He could be right back next season.

It’s surprising this is Beverly’s first time making the list. As a guard who is known for taking some of the best opposing point guards out of the game, he should be a shoe in every year. He covers the opponent’s best guard on the perimeter every night.

You just can’t dribble the ball around Kawhi Leonard. He’s so good, opponents would rather play four on four basketball against the Spurs than include the player Leonard is guarding in the offense.

Draymond Green might be the only player in the league who can guard each position on the floor at the highest level possible. The Warriors had the best defense in the league last season and that just isn’t possible without him on the floor. He became the first player in Warriors’ history to record 150 steals and 100 blocks in a season, per NBA.com.

Rudy Gobert isn’t just your typical shot blocker. He led the league in blocks this season, but he doesn’t chase them. His 7’3 frame along with his massive wingspan make it easy for him, but make it nearly impossible for the opponent to get shots by him without pulling him from the paint.

Tony Allen hasn’t been as playable as he has in the past because of his limits on offense, but he’s still a very solid defender in most cases. He just may be on his last legs.

Though he has been one of the unsung heroes of the Spurs for years, Green probably wasn’t very deserving of this nod. The Spurs defensive rating goes from 101 to 100 when he’s off the floor, which isn’t a great deal of difference. But he can lock in when asked and guard the second best perimeter assignment on the floor.

Andre Roberson still can’t hit the broad side of a barn from deep, his impact on defense still matters. When Roberson is off the court, the Thunder’s defensive rating jumps from 103.3 to 107.9. He can’t shoot, but he’ll lock down whoever you ask him to.

This is Giannis’ first nod on any defensive team and it’s well deserving. He led his team in blocks and steals and was the only player in the league to average at least 1.5 of both per game. He’s scary good.

Davis was solid on the backend for New Orleans this season. He held opponents within six feet of the rim to 54 percent shooting overall. He’s still learning to defend, but any improvement at all will land him on the first team.