Luka Doncic's hamstring injury doesn't just raise concerns about the Los Angeles Lakers' chances in the NBA Playoffs, it effectively ends his bid at being an MVP finalist or an All-NBA First Team player. Assuming Doncic doesn't play another game, which is the likeliest outcome here, he will finish the season with 64 games, finishing one shy of the NBA's mandated minimum.
Luka isn't the only all-world player who won't be recognized for his efforts because of the mandated minimum. Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards are two other examples of star players who will be robbed of accolades they would have earned if the minimum wasn't mandated.
This has created an interesting conundrum in the NBA. The All-NBA teams aren't just about who is playing the best, but they're also about who can get to the 65-game minimum. With several big names missing the cut, piecing together the All-NBA teams is a much more difficult task than years prior.
With Doncic now officially out of the running, let's dive into what the All-NBA teams may look like.
Predicting the All-NBA teams without Luka Doncic:
All-NBA First Team:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Donovan Mitchell
- Kawhi Leonard
- Nikola Jokic
- Victor Wembanyama
Getting to have two centers on the First Team, which was created because of Joel Embiid, actually makes sense this year. Nikola Jokic needs to play four of the Nuggets' final five games to qualify but if he does, there is no denying he is a First Team player. He will be an MVP finalist alongside Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It's the other two spots, one of which was vacated by Doncic, that are hard to put together. Donovan Mitchell secures a spot as he is fifth in total scoring and has been a consistent presence for a Cavaliers team that has title aspirations.
The final spot came down to Kawhi Leonard vs. Jaylen Brown. Personally, I would choose Brown over Leonard because winning should matter to some degree in the All-NBA teams. Kawhi, assuming he hits the 65-game threshold, has led a play-in team while Brown has led a surprise Celtics team without Jayson Tatum.
However, Kawhi has had the better year statistically and doesn't have any anti-Boston juice going against him. For that reason, he may edge out Brown on the aggregate.
All-NBA Second Team:
- Jalen Brunson
- Tyrese Maxey
- Jaylen Brown
- Jalen Johnson
- Jalen Duren
The All-NBA Second Team should just be renamed the All-Jalen team. Too bad Jalen Green hasn't taken the leap to be an All-NBA player to round out the most iconice All-NBA Second Team in NBA history.
And it isn't iconic because of the actual players on the team.
With no disprect to anyone who is actually on this projected Second Team, this isn't what an All-NBA Second Team traditionally looks like. Heck, three of these players wouldn't have made it at all if Luka, Cade, and Ant hit the 65-game minimum.
Brown and Maxey are the easy inclusions. There is no explanation needed there. Jalen Brunson is an established talent and the Knicks are a top three team in the East. That will get him in. Jalen Johnson is a breakout star and, quite frankly, deserves it more than someone like Kevin Durant who has been leading a dysfunctional Houston Rockets team.
Jalen Duren is a real candidate to win most improved and while it doesn't technically have to be a center rounding out the starting five, voters seem to favor the historical precedence as a tiebreaker, which could get Duren on the Second Team.
All-NBA Third Team:
- Jamal Murray
- James Harden
- Kevin Durant
- Chet Holmgren
- Karl-Anthony Towns
It's really tough to fill out the Third Team. Jamal Murray and Kevin Durant are easy ones to pencil in as they are candidates for the Second Team, and to some, should be members of that team. The other three slots are where it gets tricky, and it all comes down to which flavor of ice cream a voter prefers.
James Harden gets the nod here for his ability to instantly adapt to his situation in Cleveland while still having a top statistical season. Sure, it will probably blow up in the Cavaliers' face in the NBA Playoffs, but this is a regular-season award.
Karl-Anthony Towns is second in the league in rebounds per game and ninth in total win shares. In a better year he doesn't make the cut but he plays an important role on a good Knicks team and has been a reliable 20 and 10 all season.
Chet Holmgren is the most interesting name and probably comes as a surprise. While there are other options like Devin Booker or Deni Avdija, neither play on winning basketball teams. If we are trying to figure out who the 15th All-NBA guy is, we probably should use team success as a tiebreaker.
OKC is the best team in the league and while his counting stats don't pop off the page, Chet has been an important part of that puzzle. He's a real difference-maker on both ends of the court, which should have more value than empty-calorie scoring on a worse team.