Picking the first half All-NBA teams

SECOND TEAM

Guard – Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers – Paul’s overall profile has taken a (small) step back from the 2014-2015 season, but he remains the third-best guard in the NBA. His raw production (19.3 points, 9.4 assists per game) is strong enough on its own, but Paul remains incredibly efficient with a 46/38/88 shooting line and he is one of the best defensive point guards in the league at this juncture. Throw in the fact that Blake Griffin’s absence has placed a big-time toll on the now 30-year-old and his excellence shines through to an even more emphatic degree.

Guard – Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors – To be honest, it feels a bit odd to include Lowry among the “best” ten players in the NBA, but he has been that good this season. He is easily the best player on Toronto’s roster, and given that the Raptors are 35-17 and nipping at the heels of the Cavs for the top spot in the East, that means something. Lowry’s numbers (21.0 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds per game) are strong and a 39.2% clip from three-point range is highly encouraging for a player who entered the league without a jumper. More than anything, though, he is making a significant two-way impact for a team that is playing extremely well and Lowry is earning this spot.

Forward – LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers – Whoa. Just seeing LeBron’s name associated with the second team is odd, but this is the price you pay for forcing folks to pick a “true” center on the first team instead of rolling with three frontcourt players. James is still an incredible basketball player, and the numbers (26.8 PER, 25.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists per game) don’t lie in any way. However, his defensive dip is very real at this stage of his cruise-control process, and LeBron inexplicably forgot how to shoot three-pointers (27.7% on the year) sometime in early 2015. It is certainly nitpicking to find any flaws with “King James”, but there were two forwards more deserving on the first team nod based solely on this season.

Forward – Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors – It is nice to see Green receiving the accolades he deserves. The former Michigan State standout is a one-in-a-million player in that he can defend all five positions, shoot well from long-range, run in transition and pass at the highest of levels. Green will never be an elite scorer, as evidenced by his career-best average of 14.2 points per game, but he rebounds at a strong rate (9.5 per game) and his assist numbers (7.2 per game) are simply absurd for a player who is deployed chiefly at power forward and center. Did I mention that Draymond Green is arguably the best defender in the NBA? He’s having himself a year.

Center – Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons – If only Andre Drummond could make a free throw. Detroit’s cornerstone big man is averaging 17.0 points, 14.9 rebounds (to lead the NBA) and 1.5 blocks per game, but even with a 52% shooting rate from the field, he fails to post even a 50% true shooting. Yes, Drummond is that bad at the line, making only 35.1% of his shots at the charity stripe while attempting nearly eight per game. If we look beyond that, he is an absolute monster at both ends and the fact that Drummond is only 22 years old is flatly terrifying. Still, there is a reason he fails to crack the first unit and the free throw line (and, more specifically, his lack of efficiency) is that reason.

Next: First Team