Predicting All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams

After the conclusion of an exciting regular season, a panel of 100 NBA sportswriters, broadcasters and media members vote on the All-NBA teams. This will capture the truly elite players of the 2023-2024 campaign. We’ll anticipate who will be named to each team, keeping in mind that All-NBA teams are positionless for the first time ever. All statistics are from Basketball Reference.

Jokic remains the ultimate cheat code in the NBA. The New Yorker has labeled him the world’s best basketball player, and it’s hard to argue with his imprint on all facets of the game. He has the Denver Nuggets in prime position to win a second consecutive NBA title, thanks to his extraordinary vision and selfless attitude.

It feels like it shouldn’t be possible, but Doncic appears to be getting better. He averaged a career-high 33.9 points per game, to go along with a career-high of 9.8 assists per contest. In January 2023, The Athletic wrote a column about how the NBA has tried—and failed—to stop Doncic, and that helplessness only gets more pronounced each year.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have arrived as a championship contender earlier than anticipated, thanks to the stellar play of Gilgeous-Alexander. Many NBA fans might not realize that he led the league in steals this year, which has allowed the Thunder to start fast breaks that end up in easy baskets. He’s also never looks like he’s in a rush to get off an open shot.

Antetokounmpo’s regular season ended in disappointing fashion due to injury, but that shouldn’t take away from yet another magnificent campaign. Sports Illustrated gave him a lot of love in February, recognizing that his efforts powered the Bucks to a top three seed despite the turmoil the organization faced.

The Boston Celtics ran circles around the NBA this season, and Tatum deserves his flowers for being the primary reason why. It looked like he was on a mission from day one, after Boston surprisingly fell in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. That has also coupled with a boost in confidence, as Tatum told Yahoo Sports in February that he thinks he’s the best player in the NBA.

The New York Knicks would be in a dark place without the heroics of Brunson. Despite only being 6’2”, and often facing defenders taller and stronger than he is, Brunson’s array of moves allows him to get to where he wants to go on the floor. He had a barrage of memorable performances down the stretch, including a 61-point performance against San Antonio in March.

Yahoo Sports dropped an impressive nugget showing Brown’s value as one of the best defenders in the NBA. As of April 1, 162 players defended at least 10 shot attempts per game, while playing 40 games. Of that population, Brown was 18^th in the entire league, holding players to 44.6 percent shooting. As if that wasn’t enough, he also averaged 23 points a night.

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Vanity Fair has asked whether Edwards will be the next face of the NBA. If he continues on the trajectory he is on, and adds playoff success to his resume, that day might come sooner than fans think. Edwards was the catalyst of a Minnesota Timberwolves team that took a massive leap in the Western Conference.

The NBA was reminded just how potent a healthy Leonard can be in 2023-2024. He suited up in 68 games this year, which is the most since 2016-2017. Fortunately for Leonard, he eclipsed the 65-game minimum threshold the league implemented for All-NBA consideration, and he should be strongly considered.

The Indiana Pacers are back in the NBA postseason thanks to the efforts of Haliburton. Marca and other outlets called out the special things he was doing during the first half of the season. While his production slowed somewhat down the stretch, Haliburton led the NBA in assists while maintaining efficient shooting percentages.

The Philadelphia 76ers were right to hand the keys of their backcourt to Maxey in 2023-2024. He responded by making his first All-Star team, and energizing the team with a loose demeanor. Sports Illustrated highlighted his easygoing personality, but his competitiveness shouldn’t be overlooked.

Even though he plays in a large market for the Los Angeles Clippers, George’s output as a star has somewhat flown under the radar. Now in his 14^th season, George made the All-Star team for the ninth time this year, and teamed up with Kawhi Leonard to anchor the Clippers’ perimeter defense against star players.

Like Leonard, Davis has also received a lot of criticism for not being able to stay on the floor. That wasn’t the case in 2023-2024, as the Los Angeles Lakers star played 76 games. He performed extremely well on both ends of the floor, averaging nearly 25 points per game, while swatting 2.3 shots per contest. He also hauled in 12.6 rebounds a night.

Flashscore, Yahoo Sports and ClutchPoints all talked about Sabonis being underrated this season. ClutchPoints brought attention to his double-double streak, which reached 61 games in 2023-2024. Sabonis is hurt by playing in the same era as Jokic, but provides a lot of similar production. He led the league in rebounds with 13.7 this season, and averaged over eight assists a night.

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The Phoenix Suns were a star-driven team in 2023-2024, and Booker should get a lot of credit for facilitating their attack. ESPN and The Ringer highlighted his playmaking ability early in the season, which was necessary considering Phoenix’s lack of a true point guard. He averaged nearly seven assists a night, while still dropping 27 points per game.