The All-NBA teams will be voted on using a positionless structure for the first time since the 1954-55 season. Instead of selecting two guards, two forwards, and a center, voters have the utmost flexibility when it comes to selecting the most deserving players in the association.
The only requirement is that a player must appear in 65 games to become eligible for such a distinction. Several players were perhaps worthy of being named to an All-NBA team but came up short in the games played department.
Injury Exclusions
Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Karl-Anthony Towns, Scottie Barnes
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is a relative lock to make either the first or second team when he's healthy. Embiid has landed on one of the top two teams in each of the past three seasons. Donovan Mitchell and Kyrie Irving aren't nearly as automatic, yet both guards are perennial All-Stars.
Additionally, Karl-Anthony Towns has flirted with All-NBA consideration for some time now. If he were to appear in more than 65 games, there'd be a slim chance he'd make one of the three teams this season.
Lastly, the Toronto Raptors Scottie Barnes earned his first All-Star appearance. While an All-NBA isn't completely out of the question (if he were to reach the games played threshold), his team's poor performance would've likely held him back.
All-NBA Snubs
Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Paul George, Bam Adebayo, Zion Williamson
Now, the notable omissions. These players will certainly make other's ballots but were left off this hypothetical ballot. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics is 1B to Jayson Tatum's 1A on the best team in the league. He's a fantastic player, yet the analytics weren't so kind to Brown. He ranked outside the top 50 in win shares, box plus/minus, value of replacement player, and player efficiency rating.
Up next, are three young guards who have performed at an elite level this season. The biggest snub of them all—Tyrese Haliburton—was an All-NBA lock at the All-Star break. However, he's averaged just 17.5 points and 9.5 assists in the 25 games since the break.
De'Aaron Fox started strong, hit a cold spell in January, then turned it up a notch to finish the season. 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey will win the Most Improved Player Award, but his inclusion on an All-NBA team is a bit premature.
Similar to Maxey, the Oklahoma City Thunder's Jalen Williams has made the most of an increased role. This season won't be the one he makes an All-NBA team but watch out for "J-Dub" in the future. Another youngster, Paolo Banchero, is the best player on a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. But like his predecessors, he's more than likely to make an All-NBA team in future seasons.
LA Clippers wing Paul George is and has been one of the best two-way players in the NBA for some time now. Like Brown, his peeking order on his own team hurts him when it comes to All-NBA consideration.
Finally, two big men who are extremely valuable to their teams—Bam Adebayo and Zion Williamson. Adebayo is a key cog on the Miami Heat, but Miami's mediocrity combined with a lack of of standout statistics (besides advanced defensive metrics) hurt the Heat big man's case.
Despite Williamson's fifth-year statistics rivaling his rookie season's stats, he accomplished more this season than ever before. The oft-injured former first-overall pick has managed to appear in 70 games for the first time in his young career. Watch for the Pelicans forward to make All-NBA squads for years to come.
Predicting the All-NBA Third Team
To kick things off, we have the All-NBA Third Team. Of this squad, one player narrowly made it over the honorable mentions while two players were last-second omissions from the second team.
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
Three-time All-Star and perennial Defensive Player of the Year favorite Rudy Gobert narrowly squeezes by the "All-NBA Snubs" to make the third team. Despite the least impressive counting stats of the bunch, Gobert made perhaps the biggest impact of any player in the league.
On the season, Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Per CraftedNBA, Gobert was by far and away the best defender in the league. His rim deterrence was elite. The "Stifle Tower" forced opponents to shoot, on average, 13.9 percent worse than at the rim.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Part of the Phoenix Suns' terrific trio, Devin Booker has solidified himself as a top-15 player in the NBA. Although Phoenix added former All-Star Bradley Beal and Booker suited up alongside Kevin Durant for an entire season, his point production remained similar while drastically increasing his assist percentage from 27.3, a season ago, to a career-high mark of 31.2 percent.
Booker was one of the best all-around offensive players this season. He ranked top-11 in points and assists per game. The Suns' guard also shot 49.2 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from beyond the arc, and ranked 10th in the NBA—shooting 88.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
The best shooter of all time hasn't lost a step in his age-35 season. Now in his mid-30s, his production remains reminiscent of his late 20s. The 10-time All-Star remains an elite sniper from deep. The Golden State Warriors guard was the only player to knock down more than 300 triples this season.
Although his squad won't participate in the postseason, the Golden State Warriors would be closer to the bottom of the league's standings without Curry. The sharpshooting guard positively impacted the Warriors' offense. He led the team in offensive win shares, offensive box plus/minus, and value over replacement player (VORP).
Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
Still one of the best defenders in the NBA, LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard remains as efficient as ever on the other end of the court. Leonard appeared in 68 games, his most in seven years, and held averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while nearing a 50/40/90 season.
Of Leonard's most common matchups in the regular season, three appear on this list and all three differ in position—demonstrating the forward's incredible versatility. On a star-heavy team like the Clippers, Leonard edges out George as the focal point.
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Perhaps Anthony Davis' most prestigious accomplishment is appearing in the most games in his 12-year career. The Los Angeles Lakers big man appeared in 76 games this season and remained consistent throughout the entirety of the season.
On the season, "AD" averaged 24.7 points, a career-high 12.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. If not Gobert or Victor Wembanyama, the Kentucky product may have come away with Defensive Player of the Year honors on top of an All-NBA team selection.
Predicting the All-NBA Second Team
Next, the All-NBA second-teamers. A few of these players have ignited playoff streaks for their once-helpless squads. The other two have cemented their names as two of the best players to touch the hardwood.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is on pace to earn his second consecutive All-NBA team honor. After being traded to the Kings in 2022, he helped lead Sacramento to the playoffs for two straight seasons.
This season, Sabonis averaged career-highs in rebounds (13.7) and assists (8.2). The All-Star center led the league in triples-doubles with 26 and broke the NBA record for consecutive double-doubles—recording a double-double in 61 straight games.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
One of the greatest to ever do it, LeBron James seemingly adds a new wrinkle to his game every season. While James has never been shy when it comes to launching 3-pointers, the four-time MVP has never shot the three-ball with better accuracy. In his age-39 season, James canned a career-high 41.0 percent of his triples.
Beyond his marksmanship, the 21-year veteran continues to defy logic. He led the Lakers to yet another playoff appearance while averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
Like his counterpart James, Kevin Durant continues to exhibit excellence as his career progresses. In his age-35 season, the Suns' superstar forward drilled 52.3 percent of his field goals and 41.3 percent of his 3-pointers.
After battling injuries for numerous seasons, Durant appeared in 75 contests, his most since the 2018-19 season. Perhaps most astounding, the former Oklahoma City Thunder forward ranked sixth in the NBA in minutes played. The last time he played more than 2750 minutes was 10 years ago.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Now we've reached Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves star guard. In just his fourth season, Edwards has ascended to superstardom. What can't he do? Edwards is insanely athletic, remarkably durable, efficient on offense, and impressive on the defensive end.
The two-time All-Star managed career-highs in points, assists, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage. Despite an increase in usage rate, Edwards decreased his turnover percentage from last season. The Wolves guard is constantly evolving and appears primed to make an All-NBA team for years to come.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Only one spot on the All-NBA first team was up for grabs with the remaining four seemingly set in stone. New York Knicks' guard Jalen Brunson was the most difficult cut. After beginning his career as a role player, Brunson has emerged as a top-notch first option.
In his second season in New York, Brunson averaged a career-high 28.7 points and 6.7 dimes per game. The All-Star guard was immensely important to the Knicks. He ranked in the 98th percentile in efficiency differential, as New York was 14.5 points per 100 possessions better with Brunson on the court.
Predicting the All-NBA First Team
Finally, the five best players in the NBA this season. Four of these players were unquestionably first-teamers, while the fifth was the best player on the best team in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Substituting Brunson for Jayson Tatum likely wouldn't cause anyone to bat an eye. However, Tatum deserves the first-team nod. The Celtics star forward saw a decrease in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks but an increase in nearly all efficiency metrics.
Being the best player on a 64-win squad also counts for something. Yes, Boston would be good without Tatum, but that does not discredit his contributions. Tatum's offense is consistently great, but he's more than a star on the offensive end. The Duke product is a great perimeter defender. He's extremely versatile on the defensive end and one of a handful of players to average more than a steal and a half a block per game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwuakee Bucks
Arguably the best player in the world is Milwaukee Bucks' forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP is as good as ever. This season, the "Greek Freak" averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks.
While shooting will likely forever remain Antetokounmpo's weakness, he excels in just about every other area. This season, the Bucks were 12.3 points per 100 possessions better with their superstar forward on the court. While his team has disappointed, Antetokounmpo bears no fault as he led in most of the Bucks' statistical categories.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Perhaps it was forgotten, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also made the All-NBA first team a season ago. He's not new here. Possibly the Oklahoma City Thunder's rise to prominence coincided with Gilgeous-Alexander's ascension to superstardom.
The Thunder guard is one of the best players in the association and there's no denying it. Averaging 30.1 points and 2.0 steals while only turning it over 2.2 times per game, Gilgeous-Alexander led a young Thunder squad to 50-plus wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
The NBA's leading scorer stuffed the stat sheet chipping in 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists to go along with his career-high 33.9 points per game. Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is beginning to become a permanent resident on the All-NBA first team. Doncic has made the first team for four consecutive seasons—it'll assuredly be his fifth.
After putting up unimaginable stats year after year, Doncic put up his incredible numbers while also having the biggest on/off impact of his young career. The Mavs' offense was 8.4 points per 100 possessions better with Doncic on the court. In addition, the Dallas defense allowed 3.5 points per game less with their superstar on the floor.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
The previous three players are worthy challengers, but it's the Denver Nuggets center's title to lose as the best player in the world. Nikola Jokic ranked second in CraftedNBA's offensive box/minus. His combination of efficient scoring, brute rebounding, and dynamic passing is non-replicable.
This season, Jokic led the Nuggets to 57 wins while averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. The Serbian star shot 58.3 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from downtown. His impact on his team is second to none. Denver is an astonishing 23.7 points per 100 possessions better with Jokic on the floor.