From Deseret News archives:
Kirilenko joins Duncan on defensive 2nd Team
The first team features San Antonio's Bruce Bowen and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers at the guard spots, recently chosen 2003-04 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest of Indiana and leading NBA MVP candidate Kevin Garnett of Minnesota at the forward positions and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace of Detroit at center.
Kirilenko is joined on the second team by two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan of San Antonio at forward, Sacramento's Doug Christie and New Jersey's Jason Kidd at the guard spots and Portland's Theo Ratliff at center.
The voting panel consisted of the NBA's 29 head coaches, who were asked to select the teams by position, with two points awarded to first-team choices and one to second-team selections.
Artest led the voting with 54 points, including 26 first-team mentions. Wallace had 48 points, followed by Garnett (40), Bowen (41) and Bryant (31). Kirilenko led all second-teamers with 36 points, including 11 first-team mentions. That's five more points than Bryant, but Kirilenko wound up on the second team because he was the third-ranking forward.
Kirilenko, who finished fifth behind Artest, Wallace, Ratliff and Bowen in Defensive Player of the Year voting by sportswriters and broadcasters, is an All-Defensive Team honoree for the first time in his three-season NBA career.
He is the first Jazz player named to either the first or second All-Defensive Team since Karl Malone was a first-team selection after the 1998-99 season.
ATHENS OUT FOR MALONE?: Speaking of Malone, he reportedly is leaning toward not playing for the U.S. Olympic team in this summer's Games in Athens, Greece.
According to Monday's Los Angeles Times, "Those close to Malone believe he will choose a summer spent with his family, rehabilitating his body and preparing for the possibility of another NBA season rather than commit to the travel and daunting schedule of the Olympics. Malone continues to grieve over the loss of his mother (Shirley, who died last summer), and apparently would like more time to mourn her."
Malone, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, was a member of two gold medal-winning Olympic "Dream Teams" while playing for the Jazz.
MYSTERY MAN: Malone's response to public criticism from Rockets owner Les Alexander about the Mailman's physical play in the ongoing Houston-L.A. playoff series, according to the Associated Press: "I wouldn't even know what he (Alexander) looks like."
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com
