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Mike Vorkunov: Knicks center Mitchell Robinson did not receive any votes for the All-Defense team at center, though Hassan Whiteside and Andre Drummond did. pic.twitter.com/kw9E0wKOZQ
Shams Charania: 2019-2020 NBA All-Defensive teams: First team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Marcus Smart, Ben Simmons. Second team: Bam Adebayo, Patrick Beverley, Eric Bledsoe, Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez.
Ben Anderson: Rudy Gobert came in third in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting. Giannis Antetokounmpo named DPOY. pic.twitter.com/Gc4jZGXL1b
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Antetokounmpo is the anchor of a Bucks unit that had the top defensive rating (103.36) in the league. He’s one of the few players in the NBA capable of guarding all five positions.
Antetokounmpo is also the favorite to win Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. The 25-year-old superstar has the opportunity to join Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only two players to win both awards in the same season.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, four-time winner LeBron James and 2018 MVP James Harden headline the list of finalists for the NBA's six major individual awards, all of which were announced Saturday afternoon. Antetokounmpo, James and Harden were the three finalists for MVP, with the finalists for each of the six awards -- MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year -- being determined based off voting results from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters from across the globe.
Three first-time All-Stars this season -- Bam Adebayo, Luka Doncic and Brandon Ingram -- were all named finalists for the league's Most Improved Player award, while the top two picks in last year's NBA Draft -- New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant -- were named as two of the three finalists for Rookie of the Year, along with undrafted guard Kendrick Nunn from the Miami Heat.
Last year's selection for Coach of the Year, Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks, also was nominated again, as was Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse and Thunder coach Billy Donovan. Budenholzer would tie Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson as the only coaches to have won the award three different times with another victory.
Shams Charania: The NBA’s annual performance awards (MVP, Rookie of Year, Sixth Man, Defensive Player, Coach of Year, etc.) will be based upon regular season through March 11, when the season suspended, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Shams Charania: Sources: NBA has informed teams: "The decision to exclude seeding games from awards voting ensures a fair process in which players and coaches from all 30 teams will have the same opportunity to be honored..." League will soon announce voting process and plan to announce winners.
Jorge Sierra: Most times No. 2 in the MVP vote Four: Larry Bird, Jerry West Three: Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, JAMES HARDEN That's some nice company for The Beard.
David Locke: The subtle story to @Rudy Gobert back to back #DPOY awards is the Jazz coaches asked him to defend differently than he did a year ago. Tell the DPOY to change and his willingness to do it is what makes Rudy great. Completely committed to winning. Congratulations Rudy!!!
Eric Woodyard: Rudy Gobert on winning #DPOY for 2nd time: "This is all my teammates. I say this all the time, but it's a team game and when you have guys that bring it every night and come every day with the same focus and compete like we do it's inspirational."
ESPN Stats & Info: Lou Williams is the 2nd player to win 6th man of the year 3 times, joining Jamal Crawford. Williams joins Kevin McHale and Detlef Schrempf as the only players to win the 6th Man of the Year in consecutive seasons.
