Below are the BBI Staff ALL-NBA Selections. 

Metrics that matter:

Some metrics cited in the article are LEBRON, Playmaking Talent, Shooting Talent, and Defensive Playmaking. LEBRON is our in-house all in one metric that estimates a player’s overall value. Playmaking Talent looks at a player’s gravity, passing volume, quality of looks a player creates, and more. Overall Shooting Talent looks at how well a player shoots relative to expectation via shot quality with volume and self-creation taken into account. Lastly, Defensive playmaking works by combining steals, deflections, blocks, and offensive fouls drawn per 75 possessions. Without further ado here are the results.

 

1st team

 

Nikola Jokic – Nuggets

Another dominant year for the Joker. He continues to rattle off all time offensive seasons as he closes out his 20s. His 61 point 10 rebound, 10 assist gem back on April 1st was the exclamation point on his MVP caliber season. He finished 1st in O-LEBRON (overall offensive impact) and 2nd in Playmaking Talent (Basketball Index’s advanced passing metric). Box score, analytics, eye test, they all agree on the topic of his greatness.

 

Shai Gilgeous Alexander – Thunder
SGA put together an all time scoring season. In my adjusted scoring model he had the 13th best scoring season since 1974. He scored 7.8 points more per 75 possessions than the average top 25 scorer this season while shooting 12% above league average (34.7 Pts/75, 112 TS+). This output was almost identical to Joel Embiid’s scoring during his 2023 MVP campaign. On top of that his defense was outstanding finishing in the 89th percentile in Defensive Playmaking (Deflections, steals, blocks, offensive fouls drawn/75). His two way impact earned him the top spot in LEBRON this season.

 

Giannis Antetokunmpo – Bucks

A third straight season of leading the league in free throw attempts is a datapoint that encapsulates Giannis well. At age 30 he’s still a freakish force getting to the rim whose volume and efficiency are historically great. His high end passing (96th percentile in Playmaking Talent) is one of the less talked about reasons he’s an elite offensive engine. Defensively he’s still very strong, thanks to being one of the best rebounders and help defenders in the league. 

 

Donovan Mitchell – Cavaliers

Mitchell had a fantastic year leading the number one offense in the league. He was 5th in O-LEBRON which was the best finish of his career. The combination of 96th percentile in Overall Shooting Talent and 97th percentile in Playmaking Talent placed him among the top primary options. His elite first step and contortionist-like body control make him deadly off the dribble.

 

Jayson Tatum – Celtics

Tatum is a player who’s very good at everything, Scoring, rebounding, passing, defense, you name it. His diverse skill set buoys his game to game value making him one of the most consistent players in the league. It’s hard to overstate how much total value he creates (3rd in LEBRON WAR). Defensively, he rebounds at the four at a high level (10th in Defensive Rebounding Talent) allowing Boston to play smaller lineups with more shooting without surrendering extra possessions. Offensively, he became an even better passer, finally cracking the top 10 in our Playmaking Talent. Pair that with being one of the best drive and finish guys in the game and you have a pretty elite offensive engine.

 

2nd team

Jalen Brunson – Knicks

Brunson submitted another impressive offensive season with the Knicks. His passing took another step forward as he crossed the 7 assist per game threshold for the first time in his career. His ability to handle massive offensive responsibility while scoring well above league average efficiency (105 TS+, Meaning he was 5% more efficient than league average) makes him one of the top offensive options in the league. 

 

Tyrese Haliburton – Pacers

Haliburton makes everything go for the Pacers offense while almost never making a mistake. His assist to turnover ratio will be talked about around campfires for generations. He has full field QB vision and the creativity to complete any pass. His pull up 3pt shooting (37.4%) gives him the gravity to pull defenders outside of the arc and stress defenses. His defensive has always been bad but his defensive Playmaking does recoup a little of that value (80th percentile)

 

Evan Mobley – Cavaliers  

Mobley is a true two way star who has improved in each of his first four seasons. This year his on and off-ball scoring took huge leaps. His handle reached a level that allowed him to attack the rim more and he finally added the spacing element we have wondered about for years. On the other side of the ball versatility and athleticism made him the DPOY. The ground he can cover because of the fluidity allows him to consistently erase offensive advantages. 

 

Steph Curry – Warriors

In his age 36 season Curry still has the juice. 11 threes a game at 40%, leading the league in free throw percentage, and finishing 6th in Playmaking Talent is audacious production for the 16 year vet. Steph still bends defenses in a big way (1st in Overall Gravity) and his scoring efficiency is still great (107 TS+). Basketball Index’s Playmaking Talent captures his passing value better than other metrics because it incorporates his gravity.   

 

Anthony Edwards – Timberwolves

At just 23 years old Ant is already among the best in the game. He upped his scoring volume and efficiency thanks to a shot diet change, swapping out a few low efficiency mid rangers for pull up threes. That pushed his scoring efficiency above league average (103 TS+) for the first time in his career and won him the 3pt title. 

 

3rd team

LeBron James – Lakers

24 points a game, 105 TS+, and elite passing are crazy numbers for any player let alone someone in their 40s. LeBron’s first step is basically nonexistent making it so he can’t drive at will anymore, but he’s found other ways to remain relevant. He’s become a great spot up option, where he can hurt teams as a shooter and extra passer. 

 

Karl-Anthony Towns – Knicks

KAT had a best case scenario first season in New York. He shot 42% from three, filled the big man passing void left by Isiah Hartenstein, and rebounded the heck out of the ball. He was 4th in Overall shooting Talent Among bigs and finished with a 109 TS+. KAT’s ability to optimize offenses with his scoring versatility was on full display this year.

 

Cade Cunningham – Pistons

Cade flourished this year with a better supporting cast. Career highs across the board in points, rebounds, assists, and efficiency propelled the Pistons to the playoffs. He was the primary reason for Detroit’s 30 win jump. The thing that makes Cade so special is his passing. 9.1 assists per game and a 5th place finish in Playmaking Talent puts him in the elite tier of playmakers.

 

James Harden – Clippers

We saw “The System” given full control over the Clippers offense this year and he delivered in spades. Harden doesn’t have the scoring punch he once had but his playmaking and ability to organize an offense has always been fantastic. We saw his True Usage jump from 44 to 53 this year meaning he was responsible for over half of the Clippers shots when he was on the court. His ability to lift his teammates was made evident by multiple career years by his supporting cast (Powell, Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr).

 

Jalen Williams – Thunder

J Dub took another massive step in his third season providing elite two way impact. Early in the year he even filled in at center due to injuries. He was only one of 9 players to post a +2 O-LEBRON and +0.5 D-LEBRON this season. The combined output netted him a top 12 finish in LEBRON. On offense, he took a jump as a playmaker (41st to 27th in Playmaking Talent). On defense, his already good defensive playmaking got even better (83 percentile to 93rd). Jalen will be 24 next season, and has already cemented himself as a corner stone player