NBA MVP Joel Embiid headlined the All-NBA First team announced on Wednesday.
The 76ers center includes Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Thunder guard Shai Gilzeus-Alexander and Mavericks guard luka doncic.
Nuggets center and MVP runner-up Nikola Jokic is absent from the first team. All-NBA Teams are based on position; Only one center makes the first team cut, and that honor goes to Embiid. Jokic made the second team with Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Heat forward Jimmy Butler, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Kings guard D'Oran Fox, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Knicks forward Julius Randle, Lakers forward LeBron james and Kings center Domantas Sabonis made up the third team. The All-NBA selection was the 19th for James in 20 NBA seasons.
New all-NBA rules next season
The new collective bargaining agreement eliminated positions from All-NBA consideration, allowing voters to select their top five players for each team regardless of position. Jokic would almost certainly make the first team under these circumstances, but the CBA won't take effect until next season. New CBA rules would require players to play at least 65 games to be eligible for any longtime honor.
first for Embiid
Embiid earned first-team honors after averaging a league-high 33.1 points, along with 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. He shot 54.8% from the field and 33% from 3-point range while leading Philadelphia to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern conference playoffs. The first team selection is his first after making the previous four All-NBA second teams. Like Jokic this season, Embiid would likely have made the previous first team under the new CBA.
Antetokounmpo is the only consensus pick
Antetokounmpo is first-team All-NBA for the fifth time. He also made the second team twice. He is the only unanimous first-team selection. Embiid's votes were split with fellow MVP finalist Jokic. Antetokounmpo averaged a career-high 33.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals per game this season, while shooting 55.3% from the field. He led the Bucks to the NBA's best regular season record before being upset in the first round of the playoffs. His 63-game season would make him ineligible for consideration under the new CBA.
Tatum earned his second straight first-team honors in 2020 after being selected in the third team. He averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season, all of which were career-highs. He also averaged 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field and 35% from 3-point distance. His Celtics are 3-1 behind Embiid's 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. With the selection, Tatum became eligible for a five-year, $318 million Supermax contract next season. Teammate Brown is eligible for a five-year, $295 million contract, joining another team this summer.
Gilgeous-Alexander made his first All-NBA team of any kind after earning his first All-Star bid in his fifth NBA season. The versatile Thunder guard averaged a career-high 31.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point distance. He is also a defensive force, averaging 1.6 steals and 1 block per game, both career highs. A young Thunder team made a surprising run in the NBA Play-Ins.
Dončić earned his fourth All-NBA selection in his fifth season, all first-team honors. He averaged a career-high 32.4 points while shooting 49.6% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point distance, along with 8.6 rebounds, 8 assists and 1.4 steals per game. After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, Dončić's Mavericks missed the playoffs this season for the first time since his 2018-19 rookie campaign.
Mitchell, Ja Morant not happy with All-NBA teams
Mitchell, who thrived in his first season with the Cavaliers, was bitter about not making the first team.
Sharing the backcourt with All-Star Darius Garland, Mitchell averaged a career-high 28.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point distance , as Cleveland earned the no. 4 seed in the East.
Meanwhile, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacted to not making either team.
He averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals, while shooting 46.6% from the field and 30.7% from 3-point distance. The Grizzlies earned the No. 2 seed in the West before losing to the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. He was limited to 61 games played due to an NBA suspension after several off-court incidents.