In a year where the two of the top three MVP candidates are centers, the All-NBA teams can get messy. Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid have both done historic things this season. In 2021, Joel Embiid finished second in the MVP voting to Nikola Jokic and found himself on the All-NBA second team. However, with a tighter race and Embiid having control the majority of the year, the league has cleared the centers to receive votes as forwards as well. An attempt to make both of them All-NBA first team, but there are questions to be answered.
Who will get the center spot? Did either of them actually log enough minutes at Power Forward to receive votes as one? Why wasn’t this done last year? The All-NBA team is made of two guard spots, two forward spots, and one center. Let’s keep it that way.
Messing Up the Positions
With players filling several roles on a team and having their position put in question, this causes issues for some guys. In 2021, Celtics’ Forward Jayson Tatum was snubbed of an All-NBA spot due to the voters splitting his votes into guard and forward votes despite starting at the three or four every single night. This could happen again. For example, if the media were split on Jokic and whether to vote him at Power Forward or Center. Then, his voting numbers could mess up, and find himself out of the picture.
Even the guard spots can get messy. DeMar DeRozan is one of the primary ballhandlers for Chicago despite being labeled a Power Forward on Basketball Reference. LeBron James was labeled a Point Guard the past two seasons but made it as a forward. Players should be voted for the spot they log the most minutes in.
Still a Basketball Team
As the NBA moves towards an age where spacing means everything and positions matter less and less, we need centers. Embiid and Jokic rebranded the center position. These two keep the reason for the Center spot on the All-NBA Teams. In Basketball, you need all five positions. The All-NBA teams cutting out the Center and giving three forward spots leads to more confusion for the voters.
If you were to build your dream team with today’s players, you would still choose a center to be there, so your All-NBA Team ballots should be no different. Maybe in that dream team, you would pick Embiid and Jokic for your team, but miss out on some great all-around talent. Most people would go with the standard lineup.
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