It's not quite the level of Derek Jeter winning a Gold Glove award in baseball, but Kobe Bryant of the Lakers was given an honor on Monday that he really didn't deserve. Bryant was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the sixth straight season and the ninth time in his career. He received 13 first-team votes and seven second-team votes from the 30 NBA coaches, who determine the teams:
↵| NBA All-Defensive First Team | ↵||||
| Pos | ↵Player | ↵1st Votes | ↵2nd Votes | ↵Total Points | ↵
| C | ↵
Dwight Howard | ↵27 | ↵2 | ↵56 | ↵
| F | ↵LeBron James | ↵17 | ↵4 | ↵38 | ↵
| F | ↵Kevin Garnett | ↵15 | ↵3 | ↵33 | ↵
| G | ↵Rajon Rondo | ↵16 | ↵7 | ↵39 | ↵
| G | ↵Kobe Bryant | ↵13 | ↵7 | ↵33 | ↵
| 2 points for 1st team vote, 1 pt. for 2nd team vote | ↵||||
Bryant isn't necessarily a bad defender, but he is nowhere near one of the best two defensive guards in the NBA. Ron Artest took the bulk of tough defensive assignments this season, and while Kobe famously took to guarding Chris Paul for part of the first-round series with New Orleans, but the lasting image of that defensive matchup was Paul crossing over and blowing by Kobe in the first half of Game 4.
↵If you want advanced stats, Bryant's defensive rating was 105 points allowed per 100 possessions. For reference, Dwight Howard led the league with a 94.0 defensive rating and was named to the first team as well as winning Defensive Player of the Year. Other guards, to name a few, that rated better than Kobe defensively were (fellow first team guard) Rajon Rondo, (second-team guards) Tony Allen and Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Dwyane Wade.
↵For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.