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Boston Celtics snubbed in NBA All Defense voting

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 28: Al Horford #42 embraces Marcus Smart #36 and Guerschon Yabusele #30 of the Boston Celtics after beating the Houston Rockets 99-98 at TD Garden on December 28, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 28: Al Horford #42 embraces Marcus Smart #36 and Guerschon Yabusele #30 of the Boston Celtics after beating the Houston Rockets 99-98 at TD Garden on December 28, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics wee not given enough respect in the NBA All Defense voting

The NBA just released the results for the NBA All defense first and second teams with Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Robert Covington, Jrue Holiday and Victor Oladipo making the first team. They were followed by Al Horford, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, Dejounte Murray and Jimmy Butler on the second team.

You are always going to be able to nit pick these kind of awards, but it feels like the Boston Celtics, who had the best defense in the league for the majority of the season, should have more than just one second team appearance.

The most notable omission has to be Marcus Smart. Even before the playoffs, he was clearly in the conversation for best defenisve guard in the entire NBA, with the kind of versatility that you will not find from any of the guards on either team.

Quite frankly, you will not find a more versatile defender in the entire league, and with Gobert getting first team, the games missed argument loses a lot of validity.

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Smart missed just two more games than Gobert did this season, and I have a hard time taking you seriously if you are going to say all four guards selected are better defenders than Smart.

Smart is the biggest snub, but Horford really earned a place on that first team as well. He carries such a tremendous load with the small ball defense of the Celtics, and held that defense together though every single injury imaginable.

He should be a defensive player of the year finalist, and even if Davis might have more gaudy block numbers, Horford’s impact on defense was matched by very few. On top of that, you can play around with the positions enough to get Horford on there with Gobert and Davis.

Maybe there is bias after the playoff series, but Covington was not even the best defender on his team, and certainly not better than the best defender on the Celtics this season.

In the end, the Celtics do not have to be concerned with this. Smart is the last person that ever needs any kind of motivation, and Horford has never concerned himself with these kinds of things.

Keep in mind, the Celtics had the number one defensive efficiency in the NBA this season, while allowing the third fewest points in the league. They were the most consistently elite defense in the NBA, and suffered injuries all year long.

When you take into account how important the defense was to their success, it is a real shame that they did not get more recognition from the voting. The 76ers were a worse defense and had members on both teams. The Pelicans were a worse defense and had teammates both on the first team.

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The best news is that the Celtics have much more important things to be concerned with right now. You would always rather to see them get the recognition they deserve, but this team has never concerned themselves with those issues, and deserves very little attention.

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