KG, Paul Pierce named to All-NBA team

[Roy Hobbs]

KG made first team, Pierce made third:

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett today was selected First Team All NBA. Teammate Paul Pierce was selected to the Third Team.

Garnett is joined on the top team by NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers Bryant, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets.

Garnett, winner of the 2007-08 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, led the Celtics with 9.2 rebounds per game to go along with averages of 18.8 points and 3.8 assists. In Garnett’s first season in Boston, the Celtics had the league’s best record (66-16) and enjoyed a 42-game turnaround from the previous season, the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history. This is Garnett’s fourth First Team selection.

The lone unanimous selection, Bryant earns First Team honors for the third straight season and fifth time in his career. Winner of the 2007-08 NBA Most Valuable Player, Bryant ranked second in the NBA in scoring at 28.3 points per game to go along with averages of 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Bryant led the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference (57-25, .695), a 15-game improvement over last year (42-40, .512), and the franchise’s 19th Pacific Division title.

Howard, an All-NBA Third Team selection last season, led the league in rebounding (14.2 rpg), and paced the Magic in scoring (20.7 ppg) and blocked shots (2.2 bpg). He recorded an NBA-high 69 double-doubles, including eight 20-20 games. Howard led the Magic to its first division title since 1995-96.

James won his first scoring title (30.0 ppg) and became one of only three players in NBA history – joining Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson -- to average at least 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in a season. This season, James became the youngest player to score 10,000 career points. He earned First Team honors for the second time in his career.

Paul earns his first All-NBA selection after leading the New Orleans Hornets to their first Southwest Division title and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Paul paced the league in assists (11.6 apg) and steals (2.7 spg), becoming the first player since John Stockton in 1992 to lead the NBA in both categories the same season. He also averaged a team-high 21.1 points per game.

The All-NBA Second Team consists of Phoenix’s Steve Nash and Utah’s Deron Williams at guard; San Antonio’s Tim Duncan and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki at forward; and Phoenix’s Amaré Stoudemire at center.

The All-NBA Third Team includes San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili and Houston’s Tracy McGrady at guard; Utah’s Carlos Boozer and Boston’s Paul Pierce at forwards; and Houston’s Yao Ming at center.

The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of 127 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Below are the results of the voting for the 2007-08 All-NBA Teams, with First Team votes in parentheses:

2007-08 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points
Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston (118) 612
Forward LeBron James, Cleveland (117) 610
Center Dwight Howard, Orlando (86) 546
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (127) 635
Guard Chris Paul, New Orleans (124) 629

2007-08 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points
Forward Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (1) 189
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio (25) 397
Center Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix (30) 412
Guard Steve Nash, Phoenix (2) 311
Guard Deron Williams, Utah 228


2007-08 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points
Forward Carlos Boozer, Utah 174
Forward Paul Pierce, Boston (2) 151
Center Yao Ming, Houston (2) 71
Guard Tracy McGrady, Houston (1) 137
Guard Manu Ginobili, San Antonio 123

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first team votes in parentheses): Allen Iverson, Denver, 116; Carmelo Anthony, Denver, 89; Marcus Camby, Denver, 59; Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 38; Baron Davis, Golden State, 32; David West, New Orleans, 24; Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, 22; Tyson Chandler, New Orleans, 18; Antawn Jamison, Washington, 15; Al Jefferson, Minnesota, 14; Chris Bosh, Toronto, 11; Joe Johnson, Atlanta 8; Andre Miller, Philadelphia, 7; Caron Butler, Washington, 5; Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix, 5; Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, 5; Kevin Martin, Sacramento, 4; Ray Allen, Boston, 4; Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando, 3; Jason Kidd, Dallas, 2; Josh Howard, Dallas, 2; Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 2; Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 1; Brandon Roy, Portland, 1; Michael Redd, Milwaukee, 1; Tayshaun Prince, Detroit, 1; Tony Parker, San Antonio,

The most surprising me was that 9 voters left KG off their first team ballots, and 10 didn't vote for Lebron.  Seriously?

[MMacOH]

How do you think a squad that was made up of the All NBA first team would fare against the original dream team?


Thats an impressive lineup:
CP3 and Kobe at guard.  LBJ and KG at forward with Dwight Howard at C

[fairweatherfan]

<snip>

The most surprising me was that 9 voters left KG off their first team ballots, and 10 didn't vote for Lebron.  Seriously?

Looks like a bunch of voters wanted Duncan as a first team forward - some of them did this by dropping Garnett, some by dropping LeBron, and since the numbers don't quite add up my guess is a few put him at center over Howard.  There's not really a good decision you can make there, except of course to acknowledge that Duncan didn't really deserve first team this year.  TP for being the first place I heard about the selection though.

[Ersatz]

Congrats to our boys! Pierce really should have been second team though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first time in his career Duncan has not been first team?

[EarthBall]

So what two idiots actually voted for PP over KG or LeBron?

[Big Ticket]

Congrats to our boys! Pierce really should have been second team though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first time in his career Duncan has not been first team?

2006 1st team forwards were Dirk and LeBron.  I think that is the only other time he's been on the 2nd team.

[Hollywood]

Dream Team vs 2008 all-nba team...

I don't know where Chris Paul is as an all-time player just yet. More importantly, I have watched lebron get taken out of his element in international competition where he goes one on one and expects to get bailed out by the refs and some greek guy steals the ball from him. Plus come on, MJ, Larry, and Magic?  I would go Dream Team.

I would love to see 2000 Shaq go up against Kevin Mchale. Or george Mikan for that matter. Or Wilt.

Whats crazy about that 1992 team is if things played out differently they could have added some combo of skinny Shaq, Akeem (Hakeem)the Dream, and/or Isiah Thomas

Alright Im going to watch youtube for a while.

[Redz]

Hard to argue with any of those choices with the exception of Yao.

I'm guessing there haven't been 2 Celts on the top 3 teams since Bird & McHale were around.

[Big Ticket]

So what two idiots actually voted for PP over KG or LeBron?

Probably one of them was the same idiot that voted McGrady over Chris Paul.

[Ersatz]

Congrats to our boys! Pierce really should have been second team though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first time in his career Duncan has not been first team?

2006 1st team forwards were Dirk and LeBron.  I think that is the only other time he's been on the 2nd team.

Well remembered and quickly spotted. Thanks. Still pretty incredible accomplishment, that he's been there since his rookie year and 12 years later is still going. Amazing.

[Ersatz]

Congrats to our boys! Pierce really should have been second team though.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first time in his career Duncan has not been first team?

2006 1st team forwards were Dirk and LeBron.  I think that is the only other time he's been on the 2nd team.

Well remembered and quickly spotted. Thanks. Still pretty incredible accomplishment, that he's been there since his rookie year and 12 years later is still going. Amazing.

Oh, and I should probably add: It's ridiculous that Dirk beat him out that year. This year, I think he deserves second more than first.

[RebusRankin]

How can KG, LBJ and Paul all not be unanimous?

[Edgar]

third team stinks without Point guard. 

[Celtic]

I think they should have to pick the team like a real team, no two shooting guards, mandatory point guard/shooting guard differentiation, mandatory small forward/power forward differentiation. Some of these teams just look kind of ridiculous, like Nash and Williams on the same team.

And the 1992 Dream Team is the greatest basketball team ever assembled, forget about beating them, no team would come close to losing by 20 against them.

[bostonfan23]

thrilled Paul made third team.