Introducing the 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team 👏

In a league where highlight dunks and 30-foot three-pointers often steal the spotlight, defense remains the heartbeat of championship basketball. Lockdowns in the clutch, rotations that save possessions, and players who wear their effort on their sleeves—these are the moments that define the game at its core. The 2024-25 NBA season brought forth an incredible cast of defensive stoppers, and now, it’s time to celebrate the elite of the elite.

Introducing the 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team 👏—a collection of relentless competitors, cerebral defenders, and boundary-setters who consistently turned stops into statement plays.

🛡️ Guard: Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)

Jrue Holiday once again proves he’s one of the best perimeter defenders of his generation. At 34, his foot speed may have dipped slightly, but his IQ, positioning, and strength remain unmatched. Holiday’s ability to defend both guards and wings, disrupt passing lanes, and force turnovers made him the glue for Boston’s top-three defensive rating this season.

Coaches and peers continue to marvel at his instincts—always a step ahead, always ready to dig or rotate. Whether hounding point guards 94 feet or absorbing contact on switches, Jrue embodies versatility and toughness. It’s no surprise he earns his fourth All-Defensive First Team nod.

🛡️ Guard: Alex Caruso (Chicago Bulls)

A fan favorite and defensive savant, Alex Caruso has turned hustle into an art form. Whether it’s diving for loose balls, jumping passing lanes, or contesting shots at the rim as a guard, Caruso consistently plays bigger than his size.

This season, he anchored Chicago’s perimeter defense with surgical precision, often guarding the opposing team’s best scorer. His combination of anticipation, quick hands, and defensive communication elevated the Bulls’ schemes every night. Caruso doesn’t just defend—he disrupts, and this is his first (and well-earned) appearance on the All-Defensive First Team.

🛡️ Forward: Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves)

The Timberwolves’ rise to the top of the Western Conference was powered in large part by their suffocating defense—and Jaden McDaniels was at the center of it. At 6’9” with elite lateral quickness and a 7-foot wingspan, McDaniels took on the league’s toughest wing assignments nightly and often came out on top.

His ability to contain isolation scorers without fouling, recover after screens, and contest without biting on fakes made him a matchup nightmare. McDaniels is the prototype for a modern NBA wing defender—rangy, disciplined, and relentless. This season marked his defensive breakout and first All-Defensive First Team selection.

🛡️ Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

Giannis is no stranger to All-Defensive accolades, and the 2024-25 season reminded everyone why. The Greek Freak continues to defy positional labels—he guards 1 through 5, protects the rim, switches on the perimeter, and blows up actions with his anticipation and length.

His help-side defense remains elite, often erasing mistakes with weak-side blocks or steals that ignite transition offense. Giannis doesn’t just defend—he orchestrates chaos. His impact, both visible and on the stat sheet, remains staggering. Another All-Defensive First Team for a generational two-way talent.

🛡️ Center: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has done it again. Jaren Jackson Jr. anchored Memphis’s paint protection with authority, leading the league in blocks for the second straight season. At 6’11” with quick instincts, JJJ patrolled the rim like a sentry, rejecting shots and altering countless more.

What separates Jackson isn’t just his shot-blocking—it’s his mobility. He can switch onto guards, defend pick-and-rolls at the level, and recover to the paint in time to swat layups. His timing and footwork have improved each year, and in 2024-25, he put it all together. This marks his third consecutive First Team nod, and it likely won’t be his last.

The Identity of the First Team

This year’s All-Defensive First Team represents a kaleidoscopic mosaic of skills and styles—grit and grace, timing and tenacity. From Giannis’ towering help defense to Caruso’s ground-level chaos, each player brought something unique to the crucible of NBA defense. Together, they reflect a golden age of two-way excellence.

Notably, this group isn’t just elite defensively—they’re also high-IQ players and respected leaders in their locker rooms. They communicate, rotate, and sacrifice for the greater good. In a league so often centered on offensive fireworks, these five remind us that defense still wins games—and maybe even titles.

Honorable Mentions

Plenty of other defensive stalwarts just missed the cut but deserve praise: Bam Adebayo continued his do-it-all role in Miami. Matisse Thybulle hounded wings for Portland. Herbert Jones was a silent killer for New Orleans. And Chet Holmgren turned heads as a rookie with his rim protection and switchability.

But the First Team? They transcended. They changed games, shut down stars, and anchored elite defenses night after night.

In Closing

Defense might not always trend on social media, but these players turned it into an art form. The 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team isn’t just a list—it’s a tribute to those who take pride in the stops, who win the 50-50 battles, who lock in even when the cameras aren’t watching.

👏 Give them their flowers. They earned every clap.