Picking the All-NBA First, Second and Third teams

First team:
G: James Harden This one is easy. Harden is the overwhelming favorite to win MVP honors, and he does it all for Houston. He is virtually unguardable, especially in isolation situations, and destroys defenses on the pick-and-roll. Can he defend? Does he care to? When you dominate like he does offensively, it doesn’t matter. 

G: Damian Lillard It was Lillard or Russell Westbrook here, and despite Westbrook’s borderline humorous pursuit of a second straight season averaging a triple-double, one that saw him gobble up rebounds like Pac-Man in Oklahoma City’s final game, Lillard gets the nod. Portland is totally reliant on him, and while he’s not the all-around box score filler that Westbrook is, he’s a superior outside shooter, and a lethal pure scorer. 

F: LeBron James Does this need an explanation? Compare his and Harden’s stats long enough, and sit and think about what LeBron is doing, at his age, and you might come away inclined to give him the MVP award. James posted his best scoring average in nearly a decade, and notched career highs in assists and rebounds per game. He’s aging like fine wine, which is a major win for hoops fans everywhere. 

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo This was another tough call, putting The Greek Freak in over Kevin Durant, and it might well be another case of personal preference winning out. Antetokounmpo, fresh off a 2016-17 season that saw him win the Most Improved Player award, got even better this year. He was an offensive machine, a highlight machine, and gave the impression that he’s still got a ways to go before he realizes his full potential. That’s a truly scary thought. 

C: Anthony Davis Somewhat close call over Joel Embiid here, due in part to the fact that Davis played a decent chunk of the season at forward, while DeMarcus Cousins manned the center position. Still, the Pelicans didn’t miss a beat when Davis switched over to center after Cousins’ injury, and Davis remained a major force at both ends. And he added a wrinkle to his game, shooting a career-high 34 percent from three-point range.

Second team:

G: Russell Westbrook Did you know that Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the second straight season? He had to hoist plenty of shots (though not as many as last season) to do it, and his scoring average dipped six points, but he got it done nonetheless. The Thunder have no answers when he goes to the bench, so his ball dominance is understandable, but his less-than-stellar outside shooting relegates him to the second team. If he ever happens to read this, expect him to try and average the league’s first ever 20-20-20 season next year. 

G: DeMar DeRozan I can openly admit that this is probably too high for DeRozan, and unfairly persecutes other, arguably more deserving players. Too bad. DeRozan’s addition of the three-point shot as a legitimate weapon in his arsenal, plus his general steadiness and status as the best player on the best team in the East warrant his recognition on this team. He still fills the stat sheet across the board, and while Toronto is capable of winning without him, he is still the engine that makes the Raptors go. 

F: Kevin Durant Durant easily could have been a first-teamer on this list, as he had another superb year, and steered the Warriors through some unexpectedly choppy waters. There is no better pure scorer in the league, and while Durant still has his share of detractors, who will never approve of his decision to go play for Golden State, everyone agrees that there are few players in the league more exciting when they get on a tear. 

F: LaMarcus Aldridge I really, really wanted to put Jimmy Butler in this spot, as I am a card-carrying member of the Jimmy Butler Fan Club (meetings every other Tuesday!), but Aldridge carried the Spurs to a playoff spot despite San Antonio only having Kawhi Leonard for nine games, and having to deal with the bizarre circumstances surrounding his injury for much of the season. Aldridge’s play was simply too outstanding and too consistent to ignore. 

C: Joel Embiid The Process stayed healthy (by his standards) this season, and the results were jaw-dropping. Embiid was a major force for Philadelphia at both ends of the court, as he showed plenty of range and versatility offensively, and was, at worst, the second-best interior defender in the league. Ben Simmons got all the press late in the season, but Embiid is just as much of a matchup nightmare in a different sense.

Third team:

G: Stephen Curry Curry’s injury issues, thought to be in his past, flared up again this year, as he battled ankle problems, and is currently dealing with a sprained MCL that will likely sideline him for the entirety of the Warriors’ first round series against San Antonio. That said, he was his usual spectacular self when healthy. His numbers have remained very consistent for several years now, with a small dip in scoring easily accounted for by the presence of Kevin Durant. Curry missed 31 games, but he still belongs here. 

G: Victor Oladipo Does Chris Paul have a case here? Sure he does. But Oladipo stayed mostly healthy all year, and posted career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game. In fact, his 23.1 points per game were a full five points higher than his previous career best. Oh, and he led the league in steals, as well. Oladipo is a lock for Most Improved Player, and more than deserves this honor. 

F: Ben Simmons No player generated more buzz this year than Simmons, and for good reason. He filled the stat sheet, managed to average 15.8 points per game despite the almost total absence of an outside shot, and turned Philadelphia into the team no one wants to see in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Simmons cuts the profile of a guy who could average a triple-double for several seasons to come, and if he ever refines his perimeter offense, get used to the sight of him accepting the MVP award. 

F: Jimmy Butler Despite missing over 20 games due to injury, Butler was outstanding in leading the Timberwolves to their first playoff berth since 2004. Minnesota was 37-22 with Butler in the lineup, and 10-13 without. He provided scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defense and leadership in vast quantities, and was the steadying force for a team whose core is still young and developing. Plus, as stated above, I’m a card-carrying member of the Jimmy Butler Fan Club (meetings every other Tuesday!), so there was no way I was leaving him off this team. 

C: Rudy Gobert Confession time: I think my Third team would beat my Second team more often than not. Whole is greater than the sum of the parts, or something like that. Plus, Russ and KD would squabble with each other on half of the Second team’s possessions. Anyway, Gobert is a defensive force nonpareil. He blocks plenty of shots, alters still more, and dissuades opponents from making forays into the paint on a regular basis. Gobert isn’t counted on much offensively, but he still averaged a double-double, and is still getting better.