Official predictions for all three 2022 All-NBA Teams: All-NBA Second Team
G: Stephen Curry – (53-29) 25.5 Pts, 6.3 Ast, 5.2 Reb, 60% TS, 1.3 Stl, 3.2 TO
G: Ja Morant – (56-26) 27.4 Pts, 6.7 Ast, 5.7 Reb, 58% TS, 1.2 Stl, 3.4 TO
F: Kevin Durant – (44-38) 29.9 Pts, 7.4 Reb, 6.4 Ast, 63% TS, 0.9 Stl, 0.9 Blk, 3.5 TO
F: Demar Derozan – (46-36) 27.9 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 4.9 Ast, 59% TS, 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk, 2.4 TO
C: Joel Embiid – (51-31) 30.6 Pts, 11.7 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 62% TS, 1.5Blk, 1.1 Stl, 3.1 TO
Stephen Curry: Wardell Stephen Curry started off the year on a tear. Through the first quarter of the NBA season, it seemed he was going to earn his third league MVP. Unfortunately for the Chef, he couldn’t keep up the pace he was at, shooting a career-low 38 percent from deep and 43 percent from the field. These numbers would be career numbers for the majority of the players in the league, but that is not the standard Steph is judged by. Regardless of not living up to the ridiculous standard he has accustomed us to, Curry had a great season, leading the dubs to the third seed in the west, and making them title contenders once again.
Ja Morant: Probably the most electrifying and captivating player in the NBA, Morant exploded onto the NBA scene as a bonafide superstar. Posting a career year across the board, the third-year guard has led his team to the second-best record in the league, one of the biggest surprises of the season. Although his team has had success in his absence, Morant is Memphis’ unquestioned leader and best player.
Kevin Durant: This season has been all but normal for the best player in the world. But even with all the distractions, he had the Nets as the number one seed prior to suffering a knee injury. Individually, Durant has been as efficient and deadly as ever as a scorer. As if that wasn’t enough to handle for opposing defenses, KD has elevated himself as a playmaker, boasting a career-high in assists. Even though his team’s season has been derailed from the expectations they had at the start of the season, he is on the verge of leading them to the playoffs once again, and with him on the court, anything is possible for this Nets team.
DeMar DeRozan: Last offseason, the signing of DeMar by the Bulls was deemed by the pundits as one of the worst moves of free agency. His play this season has made those takes look extremely foolish. This has been without a doubt DeRozan’s best season, averaging career-highs in points and field goal percentage, while also becoming the game’s deadliest mid-range shooter. He was even one of the season’s best clutch performers, hitting multiple game winning shots. His play has been so stellar, he even had some MVP buzz around him in the middle of the season. The Bulls didn’t finish the season strong, but they did make the playoffs after a five-year drought. All things considered, Chicago has had a fairly successful season, and DeMar has been undoubtedly the catalyst of it.
Joel Embiid: For the second consecutive season, Joel Embiid is in the hunt for the MVP award, and is a lock to finish in the top three of the ballot. As probably the most dominant force in the game, Embiid led the league in scoring with 30.6 points per game. He managed to keep the team afloat, while they were dealing with the Ben Simmon’s saga, and led them to secure homecourt in the first round of the playoffs. If Embiid played any other position, he would be an unquestioned first-teamer, and yes, the NBA made him eligible as a forward. However, it would be disingenuous to slot Embiid in the First Team as a forward when he has not played a single second as one this season. Regardless, he has been without question the second-best center in the league and had one of the top three seasons by a player this year.