The NBA postseason is underway, but the sporadic nature of play-in week gives us a chance to look back at the regular season and assess it through different lenses. So far we’ve predicted the individual awards and given an overall regular-season grade for all 30 teams. Now we’re going to make our picks for the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams.
A reminder, there are three All-NBA teams but just a first- and second-team for All-Defense and All-Rookie. Another reminder: The 65-game minimum requirement applies for All-NBA and All-Defense, but not All-Rookie. So you’re not going to see Kevin Durant, who fell short with 62 games played, on All-NBA, nor are you going to see Kris Dunn on All-Defense, even though he has been one of the best defenders in the league this season without question. Dunn actually played in 74 games, but the fine print is that you have to play at least 20 minutes in a game for it to count toward All-NBA or All-Defense. Dunn played under 20 minutes too many times to be eligible. It’s a strange caveat, but that’s the rule.
So, now that you’ve got the lay of the land, here are our staff picks — as voted on by Brad Botkin, James Herbert, Jack Maloney, Sam Quinn, Bill Reiter, Colin Ward-Henninger and Jasmyn Wimbish — for 2024-25 All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie Teams.
CBS Sports All-NBA Teams
Four First-Team All-NBA spots are no-brainers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo have their places sewn up — and all four of them were First-Teamers last year. The biggest question will be who gets that fifth spot on the First Team. In a tight vote, it was Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves star, who got the nod. Edwards just edged Donovan Mitchell, Stephen Curry and LeBron James — all of whom got at least one First-Team vote from our seven experts.
The Knicks and Cavs are the only teams with two players who made our All-NBA Teams, as 13 different NBA teams were represented here.
CBS Sports All-Defense Teams
There were three unanimous First-Team selections here: Evan Mobley, Draymond Green and Amen Thompson. Mobley and Green both got multiple votes in our Defensive Player of the Year selections earlier this week, and the DPOY vote could be razor thin. There’s room for both of them here, along with Thompson, Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort on the First Team. The Thunder, who had the league’s top-rated defense, get two selections as Dort makes the Second Team.
CBS Sports All-Rookie Teams
Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher and Jaylen Wells were all unanimous First-Team picks by our seven-analyst panel. Castle is seen as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors after a strong finish with the Spurs. Risacher and Sarr, the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, improved as the season went on for the Hawks and Wizards, and the Grizzlies put two players on the First Team in Wells and Edey.
