Predicting the NBA All-Defensive Teams: Who else makes the cut besides Gobert?

Predicting the All-NBA Defensive First Team

Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans' Herb Jones is here to stay. Jones is an uber-intimidating defender who defends the perimeter as well as he does the interior. Jones' defensive profile is eerily similar to McDaniels—standing 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan.

The Pelican wing is an incredible one-on-one defender. In isolation, Jones' opponents shot 38.2 percent and turned the ball over 20.0 percent on such possessions. Of all players to defend more than five 3-pointers per game, Jones ranked first in percentage differential at minus-5.9 percent.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Now, to begin the onslaught of bigs, Los Angeles Laker Anthony Davis. Davis ranked as the seventh-best defender according to CraftedNBA. This season, the former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

Davis is an intimidating interior presence who also defends well in space. In the pick-and-roll, Davis forced the ball handler to shoot just 42.9 percent on nearly nine attempts per game. To further validate Davis' effectiveness—he ranked top 10 in loose balls recovered, contested twos, contested threes, defensive rebounds, and blocks.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Bam Adebayo is the rare versatile defensive center. Unlike his peers, Adebayo doesn't possess impressive shot-blocking totals, but what he does do is wreak havoc on the perimeter. Adebayo ranked fifth on CraftedNBA's best defender list in part due to his versatility.

The Miami big man defended the 20th-most isolations in the NBA. In isolation scenarios, Adebayo forced his opponents to shoot a paltry 28.4 percent, the lowest mark in the top 20. Of all field goal attempts against Adebayo, opponents shot 5.1 percent worse when attacking the All-Star center.

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Only five rookies have made an All-NBA Defensive team. The last time a rookie achieved this feat, Victor Wembanyama had yet to take his first breath. The San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation will assuredly be the sixth rookie to make the team and for good measure.

Wembanyama is more than intimidating, he's truly terrifying for opposing guards, forwards, and centers. Standing at 7-foot-4, the Spurs rookie averaged 3.6 blocks per game, the most since the 2015-16 season. Wembanyama's opponents shot 53.4 percent at the rim—the eighth-best mark in the league.

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

The epitome of a defensive anchor, Rudy Gobert has turned the Timberwolves into a defensive powerhouse. The best defender in the association according to CraftedNBA, Gobert's Wolves led the NBA in defensive rating.

The Frenchman led the league in field goal differential at the rim and overall. Gobert's opponents shot 6.2 percent overall worse against him. And per usual, Gobert deterred all interior looks, forcing his opponents to shoot below 50 percent from within six feet. The Minnesota big man was only one of two players to accomplish such a feat.