All-NBA 2nd Team:
G – Damian Lillard
G – James Harden
F – LeBron James
F – Paul George
C – Joel Embiid
Once again, I have more than half the same players from last year on this All-NBA Team, but that just goes to show how good the top-end talent in the NBA is.
LeBron James will probably play at a first-team level, but given how elite the forward position is, I feel he will make the second team. I also think it is possible he may rest some games with Russell Westbrook now on the team, which could also hurt his chances for the first team slightly. It really stinks that LeBron, Durant, and Giannis can’t all make the All-NBA First Team, but it is what it is.
Unless he gets upset at some point during the season and demands out of Portland, I see no way that Damian Lillard makes anything lower than All-NBA Second Team given his role on Portland’s roster, and his consistent level of play and games played each season. Even if Lillard did get traded midseason, he would still very likely make an All-NBA team as long as his play doesn’t falter when trade speculation becomes extreme while playing for the Blazers.
While he may not be as close to winning MVP next season like this past season given the current turmoil of the 76ers, Joel Embiid should still put up insane stats for a playoff team. It also helps his case that there aren’t many other legitimate candidates for the center position on the All-NBA Teams (a big reason why I feel the NBA shouldn’t be so strict about positions when it comes to NBA awards).
If James Harden wasn’t on the same team as Kevin Durant, he’d very likely be on the All-NBA 1st Team, but he will have to settle for the second team as the second-best player on what I believe will be the best team in the NBA.
Finally, Paul George is a dark horse pick in my eyes to make the All-NBA Second Team with Kawhi Leonard injured. Given how well the Clippers played in the playoffs with George as the top player after Kawhi went down, I feel they have a great chance of replicating that success next season. I also think it’s very possible George could have a season a lot like his last season with the Thunder where he was in the running for MVP, which would guarantee him a spot on at least the All-NBA Second Team.