Kirilenko named an elite defender

He finished third in the recently released media voting for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, trailing only winner Ben Wallace of Detroit and runner-up Bruce Bowen of San Antonio.

Now, Jazz swingman Andre Kirilenko has the respect of coaches from throughout the league as well.

Kirilenko was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team on Thursday, joined by Bowen, Wallace, Sacramento's Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and New Jersey's Jason Kidd.

It's the first All-Defensive First Team selection for Kirilenko, a 2004 All-Star who was a second team All-Defensive pick the past two years.

"I think people recognize that he changed (games)," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's basketball operations senior vice president. "He certainly gives you shot-blocking ability, and shot-changing (presence)."

Kirilenko, who led the league in blocks-per-game for the 2004-05 season and finished second to Denver's Marcus Camby in that statistical category this season, received 44 points (including 19 first-team votes) in balloting by the NBA's 29 head coaches besides his own.

Bowen led with 55 points and Wallace followed at 54, with each receiving 26 first-team votes. Artest had 30 points, and Bryant tied Kidd for fifth with 38.

Players received two points for each first-place vote and one for each second-place, meaning Wallace — the NBA's four-time Defensive Player of the Year — was snubbed by one coach.

San Antonio's Tim Duncan (23), Detroit's Chauncey Billups (23), Minnesota's Kevin Garnett (18), Camby (15) and Detroit's Tayshaun Prince (13) made the coach's All-Defensive second team.

NO JOKE: According to the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal, the fact one among 125 media members voting for the NBA's Rookie of the Year did not put New Orleans/Oklahoma City point guard Chris Paul first on his ballot "shocked and angered many around the league."

That "one" was longtime Jazz television analyst and retired ABA/NBA star Ron Boone, who had Utah rookie point Deron Williams ahead of Paul.

The Journal, however, quoted reaction from only one source besides Paul.

"It's ridiculous that Chris wasn't unanimous," ESPN analyst and ex-NBA head coach Paul Silas told the newspaper, which covered Paul at Wake Forest University. "Just ridiculous."