2008 - 09 NBA All-Defensive Teams

Post #1 » by **TMU** » Thu May 7, 2009 9:09 pm

1st Team
G - Kobe Bryant
F - Kevin Garnett
C - Dwight Howard
F - LeBron James
G - Chris Paul
   
2nd Team
F - Ron Artest
F - Shane Battier
C - Tim Duncan
G - Rajon Rondo
G- Dwyane Wade

Artest opposes All-Defensive picks
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 11831.html

ARTEST:
“I’m going to stop arguing with these people and telling them that I’m first team every year. Every team would want me on their team. Shane, too. Who would you rather have guarding LeBron (James) or Kobe (Bryant) than Shane or me? Who would you rather have guarding LeBron, Kobe or Dwyane Wade than me or Shane?”

BATTIER:
“I’m happy that both Ron and I were able to make it because I think we had a really great year defensively, underrated really. No one really talked about us defensively. With Ron on the team, it’s great because you don’t see two teammates on the (All-Defensive) team. It’s hard enough to get one. I thought when I played I had a solid defensive year, despite the missed time. It took a while to get my rhythm and timing, but I still thought I was effective.”

Battier and Artest were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the media Defensive Player of the Year voting. The defensive team is chosen by the coaches. Artest and Battier were the first Rockets named to the team the same season since Hakeem Olajuwon and Rodney McCray were first-team choices in 1988.

Kobe came 7th in the DPOY voting, yet he's on the 1st Defensive Team. Battier and Artest finished 4th and 5th respectively, but neither was selected to the 1st Defensive Team.

Conclusion? I think the coaches should stop making these selections. They have no credibility.

You thoughts?

KiLLiNDaY · Post #2 » by **KiLLiNDaY** » Thu May 7, 2009 9:18 pm

I'm starting to lose faith in coaches picking anything anymore... Its obvious Kobe got his selection based entirely on reputation..
Not one game have i seen kobe get more defensive praises than shane or ron-ron in a game.. I honestly want to know who picked kobe for this.. And KG, although a defensive beast.. didn't have as many games played as either shane or artest (though shane had only 3 games more, he did better defensively than KG)

moofs · Post #3 » by **moofs** » Thu May 7, 2009 9:19 pm

Mine is that neither does the media.

Defense First teams have always had a tendency to be occupied by NBA first teamers and/or stars and/or an exceptional top-3 defender or two, it's the second team that the real defenders get on. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_All-Defensive_Team . The real second team doesn't even get recorded.

Style over substance, cause substance don't sell.
(was about to say that it'd only been a trend since Jordan, but per my new formula of "nothing new under the sun", decided to look it up, and lo and behold, shock! And for anyone that thinks that Stern's practices are new and the legitimacy of the league is in question, see "A League of Their Own", among other sources of reference. Dramatized, but factual)

TylersLakers · Post #4 » by **TylersLakers** » Fri May 8, 2009 4:39 am

You'd think coaches would know more about what the hell's going on than a sports broadcaster. They scout all season, compared to most ESPN broadcasters who just see national TV and base their defensive player of the year selections off that.

If you don't block shots and get steals at a good clip, then you're not going to be DPOY. That's the only thing the media recognizes.

HTown_TMac · Post #5 » by **HTown_TMac** » Fri May 8, 2009 5:31 am

Yep. Sports Center top 10 plays = Defensive player.

Iggyemu · Post #6 » by **Iggyemu** » Fri May 8, 2009 3:51 pm

They hide behind the absolute position clause. Which means if you are a forward and are considered a forward the coaches will vote you a forward on the defensive team. So thats why Battier nor Artest can replace Kobe on the 1st team.

The real beef here is Kobe over D-Wade who had one of the best defensive seasons a guard has ever had. Nobody saying Kobe didn't deserve it but Wade just deserved it more.

The other thing of course is Shane Battier should have been first team over KG. To me KG missed too much of the regular season to be considered for the position.

BaYBaller · Post #7 » by **BaYBaller** » Fri May 8, 2009 5:52 pm

Iggyemu wrote:They hide behind the absolute position clause. Which means if you are a forward and are considered a forward the coaches will vote you a forward on the defensive team. So thats why Battier nor Artest can replace Kobe on the 1st team.

The real beef here is Kobe over D-Wade who had one of the best defensive seasons a guard has ever had. Nobody saying Kobe didn't deserve it but Wade just deserved it more.

The other thing of course is Shane Battier should have been first team over KG. To me KG missed too much of the regular season to be considered for the position.

Got to agree with Iggy on this one. Artest and Battier were both considered forwards. Both TD and KG were not really healthy this year but if they were healthy I wouldn't have had a problem with them being first-team but on the flipside both Artest and Battier were not healthy at the beginning of the year either. All in all I didn't have a problem with how it all went down.

Post #8 » by **TMU** » Fri May 8, 2009 6:18 pm

Notice how they put Duncan at C this time?

Plus, one of Battier and Artest played guard this season. Although it's not entirely clear which on did. Since Battier usually guards the smaller player, he was most likely our SG. With that said, Wade and Battier should have been named 1st team over Kobe and CP3.

moofs · Post #9 » by **moofs** » Fri May 8, 2009 8:31 pm

T-Mac United wrote:Notice how they put Duncan at C this time?

Plus, one of Battier and Artest played guard this season. Although it's not entirely clear which on did. Since Battier usually guards the smaller player, he was most likely our SG. With that said, Wade and Battier should have been named 1st team over Kobe and CP3.

He's always been switched back and forth as convenience dictates. :-/