Which Knicks players could be in the running for 2023 NBA Awards?
By James Ryder
Which Knicks can make the All-NBA Defensive Teams?
We all know there are only two players that can accomplish this feat, and they’re Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett.
It wouldn’t be easy, but both players are more than capable. Robinson would have to overcome the likes of Rudy Gobert, Jarrett Allen, Robert Williams III, Joel Embiid, and others to gain center votes. Barrett would have the advantage since the forwards who make either the first or second team each year is a revolving door. But even so, RJ has to beat out guys like Mikal Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr., Bam Adebayo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Yes, Bam mostly plays center, but he’s played enough minutes at power forward to qualify as a forward. Adebayo was named to the second team as a forward for 2021-22, and Bridges was named to the first team as a guard despite mostly playing small forward. The All-Defensive teams are selected based on the top vote-getters, so Barrett and Robinson will have to be very convincing.
Robinson is much more likely to make one of the teams, I’ll admit. He has proven to be an incredible rim protector and anchor for many years now, and he has also been the anchor of some top defenses over the last two seasons. He needs to stay on the court and contribute to a top 5-10 defense to garner consideration.
As for Barrett, last year he showed that he can be a menace to some of the premier perimeter scorers in the league like Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum. He will need to be doing that on a nightly basis to put himself in the upper echelon of wing stoppers. Both players have the tools, so hopefully, they can harness them and come away with an accolade for it.