Last season, the NBA tweaked all defense votes. In the past, two security guards and three forwards/centers have been selected. Currently, voting for all defense is positionless.
The top five players with the most votes are to create a defensive first team. On Thursday afternoon, the NBA announced its 2024-25 KIA NBA all-defensive first team. Three players, including Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort and Amen Thompson, earned the first team honors of All-Defence for the first time in their careers.
New Face Headline 2024-25 Kia NBA All Defensive First Team
2024-25 KIA NBA all defense first team!
Dyson Daniels
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Draymond Green
Evan Mobley
Amen Thompson#NBAAWARDS | @mo pic.twitter.com/wflhuqvnj6-NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2025
Dyson Daniel’s 2024-25 campaign with the Hawks was the 22-year-old breakout year. When the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray for the Pelican, Atlanta acquired Daniels. Previous first-round picks began 76 of the Hawks’ 82 games during the regular season. Daniels averaged a career-high 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists. 3.0 steel per game led the entire NBA from 2024-25. In addition to being selected as an NBA all-defensive first-team and steel champion, Daniel was the most improved player of the season. It was truly a career-best breakout season for defensive professionals.
Another player who won the first team selection of the first NBA All-Defense team is Thunder’s Lu Dort. He is in his sixth season with OKC after being undrafted to begin his career. Dort is the team’s best lockdown defender and proves all of that season. Every night, Dort receives the #1 scoring option of the opposite team as his defensive assignment. During the 2024-25 regular season, Dort averaged 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steel per game. The 26-year-old is one of the toughest pound defenders in the NBA.
In his second year, Amen Thompson continues to create his name in Houston. He became a fan favorite early and received the breakout campaign from 2024-25. Thompson played 69 of the Rockets’ 82 games and got off to a 42 start. The 22-year-old has scored the starting point for former second overall pick Jabalismith Junior in 69 games for Houston this past season, with Thompson averaging a career-high 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steel and 1.3 blocks per game. The previous fourth overall pick became the Rockets’ legal two-way player in 2024-25. If Thompson continues to develop offensively, he can become a player like Kawi Leonard.