NBA Awards 2012: LeBron James Leads All-Defensive Team

As recently as three seasons ago, the 10 players on the All-NBA first and second teams came from 10 different teams -- this season only seven teams can lay claim to a first or second teamer, and only 10 teams total have any All-NBA selection on their roster.

And when do we start seeing super pals poaching from each other? As of now, Howard and Paul are scheduled to become free agents at the same time next summer. Will Paul be looking to upgrade from his second team All-NBA comrade to a first teamer in a new location? The fact that Howard and Paul might both be free agents in 2013 has certainly caught the eye of more than a few NBA general managers.

The awards and accolades for the 2011-12 NBA season continue to roll out. Art Garcia, Director of Athletic Communications at UT Arlington, reports that the full selections for the All-NBA teams have been decided.

James led all players with 118 First Team votes and 596 total points. Durant was second, with 117 First Team votes and 591 points. Bryant received 104 First Team votes and 568 points, Howard received 75 First Team votes and 476 points, while Paul received 74 First Team votes and 484 points.

The Pacers have been one of the league’s best defensive teams all year. They ranked fourth in the NBA with 43.9 rebounds per game, and 10th allowing 94.4 points.

For more on Bird and the Pacers, head over to the SB Nation blog Indy Cornrows. Stay tuned to SB Nation’s NBA hub for more news and analysis.

In a press conference announcing the win, Irving said that the award is not only for him, but also “for the city of Cleveland.”

Irving averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 assists per game and emerged as a top option in crunch time in just his rookie season, so he is a deserving winner.

Now ESPN.com’s Mark Stein reports the seemingly-inevitable, citing a league source who says Iriving, the Cavs point guard and No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, will be named Rookie of the Year on Monday.

Irving had the best statistical season of any NBA rookie and seemed to lock up the award when the aforementioned Rubio -- his closest competition -- went down for the season with an ACL injury.

But hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun at LeBron’s expense with a quick GIF of him flailing around on stage.

via BlazersEdge

At the press conference, James was emotional, stating that he hadn’t been that nervous in a long time as he took the podium with butterflies in his stomach. He brought his teammates up on the stage to thank them and referred to the MVP as a team award for the Heat. James was also reflective on his past, and where he’s come from to get to where he is today:

James joins an elite group of players who have won three MVP awards. He is only the eighth player in NBA history to win it at least three times. The other seven on the list all have NBA titles on their resumes -- something LeBron is still gunning for in this 2012 Playoffs. LeBron addressed the outstanding goals for this season and the chase for his first title:

The 2012 NBA Playoffs are still rolling along, but the regular season awards continue to trickle out. One player in the hunt for a championship is about to receive the top prize in the league, according to a report.

For all news and information regarding the Miami Heat, please visit Peninsula is Mightier, or check out SB Nation Tampa Bay.

The official announcement by the NBA is expected later on Thursday, but Harden led all bench players in the NBA in scoring with 16.8 points per game, which is also a career high for Harden. Harden also averaged just over 30 minutes per game with 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Last season Harden finished seventh in voting for the award, but was a big part of the Thunder’s second place record in the Western Conference this season.

Harden is the first player in Thunder/Sonics history to win the award.

For more on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post and check out SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Before the 2011-12 NBA season began in December, bloggers from the NBA branch of SB Nation chose their preseason picks for various awards. Now the NBA is rolling out their official announcements on the awards, so it’s time for the SB Nation bloggers to again make their voices heard.

Eighteen of our 31 NBA bloggers voted this week on six awards. The absence of the seventh will be explained straight away.

For more on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post.

According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Knicks have announced a press conference at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday to officially announce Chandler as the 2012 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

In his first season with the Knicks in 2011-12, Chandler averaged 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.

Chandler finished the regular season averaging 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game, all up from last season when he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Last season the Knicks were 28th in scoring defense, but with the addition of Chandler to their frontcourt, they’ve jumped all the way up to 11th in the league in that category this season.

For more on Chandler, head over to Knicks blog Posting and Toasting and SB Nation New York.

For more on the Spurs, visit Pounding the Rock.