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We made the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year cases for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort in our ballots for the NBA's individual awards.
What about the team awards: All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie?
SGA and Dort are locks to make those as well, and they could be joined by a third Thunder teammate.
NBA AWARDS BALLOTS:Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-NBA teams
CARLSON: Jalen Williams made big strides for Thunder, but next ones need to come in NBA Playoffs
The key to evaluation is swallowing your early evaluations. That said, this rookie class, as noted entering this year, wasn’t one to write home about. I didn’t have any strong opinions on many of these guys.
Castle, Risacher and Wells were firmly in the running for Rookie of the Year. Edey played notable minutes for a competitive team, and Ware showed enough flashes to rejuvenate Miami’s frontcourt during a dramatic season. The Washington boys are likable long term; Missi was a pleasant surprise; Collier had decent numbers and flashed redeemable traits; Buzelis is one of the only bright spots in Chicago at the moment.
The biggest surprise on my first team is Wells, a second-round pick who became a key contributor for Memphis. He averaged 10.4 points and ranked third in the league in matchup difficulty (96.4), per CraftedNBA. I also had to find a spot on the second team for Buzelis, who helped Chicago finish the regular season in stride. The Bulls went 15-7 in their last 22 games, and Buzelis averaged 13.6 points during that stretch on 39.3% shooting from deep.
Castle, Risacher and Edey were my one through three in Rookie of the Year voting. Ware and Wells played real roles on teams that were trying to win. Sarr showed plenty of promise, Clingan and Missi look like long-term starters and Collier and Carrington ranked first and second among rookies in assists.
MUSSATTO: Why OKC Thunder will be an outlier one way or another in the NBA Playoffs
Amid all the controversy that stems from award season, naming the All-NBA first team has been among the least stressful tasks in recent years. This one felt fairly close to obvious, save for some thinking on that fifth slot.
The NBA’s elder statesmen (Curry, James) have continued to earn their nearby spots. I’d like to give Cunningham and Haliburton more credit for the seasons they had, but the third team will have to suffice. You could debate Williams’ place on the third team, though 22-5-5 as one of the league’s premier two-way players probably doesn’t warrant a long conversation most years — a heap of ineligibility across the league certainly didn’t hurt.
The first team was easy call for me. Curry and James headline the second team for continuing to defy Father Time. And while I didn't consider Cunningham for Most Improved Player because he's a former No. 1 overall pick, I made sure to reward his strong play with a spot on the third team. I also gave the nod to Zubac, who posted career-high averages in almost every statistical category and anchored a Los Angeles Clippers team that few people expected to be this good.
The first team matches my MVP ballot. LeBron hasn’t made first-team All-NBA in five years. He first made first-team 19 years ago. Incredible. Second-team was pretty straightforward. Jalen Williams got my last spot on third team. He was the second-best player on the most dominant regular-season team in NBA history. Granted, J-Dub’s case was boosted by all the players who were ineligible for not meeting the 65-game minimum.
REQUIRED READING: How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has prepared OKC Thunder to take NBA Playoffs by storm
I know there’s been a bit of room for debate on the first team, but it feels fairly close to a lock for me. Dort, Mobley and Green made my personal podium. Thompson was a hipster pick for DPOY, with the best combination of disruption and athleticism of any of them. Daniels was in a league of his own in steals.
Zubac has made a huge personal leap and has helped anchor one of the league’s most terrifying defenses. Williams, who’s done everything from play center to defend smalls to haunt passing lanes, also earned his spot here among some regulars.
Dort's All-Defensive first team selection is overdue. He ranks second in the NBA in matchup difficulty (96.8), and he's a huge reason why OKC ranks first in defensive rating (106.6). Williams also deserves a spot on the second team for his versatility. The 6-5 forward has held opponents to 51.5% shooting from inside six feet, which is better than bigs such as Mobley (54.4%) and Gobert (53.7%).
Dort, Green and Mobley made my Defensive Player of the Year ballot. The Great Barrier Thief and Thompson round out the first team. Second team could go all sorts of ways. Jackson, Zubac and Gobert are elite defensive anchors. Camara and J-Dub are supersized wing defenders. The case against J-Dub? He’s not even the second-best defender on his own team when Chet Holmgren is healthy. There’s a reason why the Thunder’s defense has been so good.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: All-NBA team picks 2025: How many OKC Thunder players will win awards?
Continue reading...
What about the team awards: All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie?
SGA and Dort are locks to make those as well, and they could be joined by a third Thunder teammate.
NBA AWARDS BALLOTS:Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-NBA teams
CARLSON: Jalen Williams made big strides for Thunder, but next ones need to come in NBA Playoffs
2025 NBA All-Rookie team predictions
Joel Lorenzi, Thunder beat writer
- Stephon Castle (Spurs), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies), Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Kel’lel Ware (Heat)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards), Bub Carrington (Wizards), Yves Missi (Pelicans), Matas Buzelis (Bulls), Isaiah Collier (Jazz)
The key to evaluation is swallowing your early evaluations. That said, this rookie class, as noted entering this year, wasn’t one to write home about. I didn’t have any strong opinions on many of these guys.
Castle, Risacher and Wells were firmly in the running for Rookie of the Year. Edey played notable minutes for a competitive team, and Ware showed enough flashes to rejuvenate Miami’s frontcourt during a dramatic season. The Washington boys are likable long term; Missi was a pleasant surprise; Collier had decent numbers and flashed redeemable traits; Buzelis is one of the only bright spots in Chicago at the moment.
Justin Martinez, sports trending reporter
- Stephon Castle (Spurs), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Kel'el Ware (Heat)
- Isaiah Collier (Jazz), Bub Carrington (Wizards), Matas Buzelis (Bulls), Yves Missi (Pelicans), Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
The biggest surprise on my first team is Wells, a second-round pick who became a key contributor for Memphis. He averaged 10.4 points and ranked third in the league in matchup difficulty (96.4), per CraftedNBA. I also had to find a spot on the second team for Buzelis, who helped Chicago finish the regular season in stride. The Bulls went 15-7 in their last 22 games, and Buzelis averaged 13.6 points during that stretch on 39.3% shooting from deep.
Joe Mussatto, columnist
- Stephon Castle (Spurs), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Kel’el Ware (Heat), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards), Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers), Yves Missi (Pelicans), Bub Carrington (Wizards), Isaiah Collier (Jazz)
Castle, Risacher and Edey were my one through three in Rookie of the Year voting. Ware and Wells played real roles on teams that were trying to win. Sarr showed plenty of promise, Clingan and Missi look like long-term starters and Collier and Carrington ranked first and second among rookies in assists.
MUSSATTO: Why OKC Thunder will be an outlier one way or another in the NBA Playoffs
2025 All-NBA team predictions
Joel Lorenzi, Thunder beat writer
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors), LeBron James (Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Amid all the controversy that stems from award season, naming the All-NBA first team has been among the least stressful tasks in recent years. This one felt fairly close to obvious, save for some thinking on that fifth slot.
The NBA’s elder statesmen (Curry, James) have continued to earn their nearby spots. I’d like to give Cunningham and Haliburton more credit for the seasons they had, but the third team will have to suffice. You could debate Williams’ place on the third team, though 22-5-5 as one of the league’s premier two-way players probably doesn’t warrant a long conversation most years — a heap of ineligibility across the league certainly didn’t hurt.
Justin Martinez, sports trending reporter
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Stephen Curry (Warriors), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), LeBron James (Lakers), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
The first team was easy call for me. Curry and James headline the second team for continuing to defy Father Time. And while I didn't consider Cunningham for Most Improved Player because he's a former No. 1 overall pick, I made sure to reward his strong play with a spot on the third team. I also gave the nod to Zubac, who posted career-high averages in almost every statistical category and anchored a Los Angeles Clippers team that few people expected to be this good.
Joe Mussatto, columnist
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), LeBron James (Lakers)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Jalen Williams (Thunder)
The first team matches my MVP ballot. LeBron hasn’t made first-team All-NBA in five years. He first made first-team 19 years ago. Incredible. Second-team was pretty straightforward. Jalen Williams got my last spot on third team. He was the second-best player on the most dominant regular-season team in NBA history. Granted, J-Dub’s case was boosted by all the players who were ineligible for not meeting the 65-game minimum.
REQUIRED READING: How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has prepared OKC Thunder to take NBA Playoffs by storm
2025 NBA All-Defensive team predictions
Joel Lorenzi, Thunder beat writer
- Lu Dort, Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Rudy Gobert, Ivica Zubac, OG Anunoby, Jalen Williams
I know there’s been a bit of room for debate on the first team, but it feels fairly close to a lock for me. Dort, Mobley and Green made my personal podium. Thompson was a hipster pick for DPOY, with the best combination of disruption and athleticism of any of them. Daniels was in a league of his own in steals.
Zubac has made a huge personal leap and has helped anchor one of the league’s most terrifying defenses. Williams, who’s done everything from play center to defend smalls to haunt passing lanes, also earned his spot here among some regulars.
Justin Martinez, sports trending reporter
- Dyson Daniels (Hawks), Amen Thompson (Rockets) Lu Dort (Thunder), Draymond Green (Warriors), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers), Jalen Williams (Thunder), OG Anunoby (Knicks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
Dort's All-Defensive first team selection is overdue. He ranks second in the NBA in matchup difficulty (96.8), and he's a huge reason why OKC ranks first in defensive rating (106.6). Williams also deserves a spot on the second team for his versatility. The 6-5 forward has held opponents to 51.5% shooting from inside six feet, which is better than bigs such as Mobley (54.4%) and Gobert (53.7%).
Joe Mussatto, columnist
- Lu Dort (Thunder), Draymond Green (Warriors), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), Amen Thompson (Rockets)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Ivica Zubac (Clippers), Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers), Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Dort, Green and Mobley made my Defensive Player of the Year ballot. The Great Barrier Thief and Thompson round out the first team. Second team could go all sorts of ways. Jackson, Zubac and Gobert are elite defensive anchors. Camara and J-Dub are supersized wing defenders. The case against J-Dub? He’s not even the second-best defender on his own team when Chet Holmgren is healthy. There’s a reason why the Thunder’s defense has been so good.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: All-NBA team picks 2025: How many OKC Thunder players will win awards?
Continue reading...
