Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday earn NBA All-Defensive honors
NEW YORK (AP) — Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics was the leading vote-getter for the All-Defensive first team, with Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns joining him as the other guard.
Former Defensive Players of the Year Rudy Gobert of Utah and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee were also voted Friday to the first team along with Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. Smart received 99 first-place votes and 198 points from the panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.
Bridges, the runner-up to Smart for the league’s top defensive award, got 95 first-team votes and two second-team votes for a total of 193 points.
Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday was a second-team pick.
2021-22 NBA All-Defensive teams:
First team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart
Second team: Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 21, 2022