Suns guard Raja Bell was named to 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive Team for the first time in his career, the NBA announced today.

Bell is the first Suns player to be named to an NBA All-Defensive Team since Jason Kidd in 2000-01 (First Team) and only the fourth player in club history to be named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team (Kidd, Dennis Johnson, Don Buse).

Also selected to the First Team is San Antonio Spurs teammates Bruce Bowen, the leading vote-getter, who earned his seventh selection and Tim Duncan, who leads all players with his 10th selection). Rounding out the First Team are guard Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who earns his seventh selection and the 2006-07 NBA Defensive Player of the Year center Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets was honored for the third time.

Bowen’s and Duncan’s defense helped the Spurs hold opponents to 90.1 ppg (first in NBA) and .433 from the field (third). San Antonio has finished in the top five in both categories in each of Duncan’s 10 seasons. Camby led the NBA in blocks (3.30 bpg) to go along with 11.7 rpg (tied for fourth in NBA). Bryant ranked 17th in steals with 1.44 per game, while Bell often matches up against the opposition’s best offensive player.

The NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Chicago teammates Ben Wallace and Kirk Hinrich, New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett.

The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position.  Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.  Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.

Below are the results for the 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive Teams:

2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM

               Position              Player, Team                                    1st           2nd             Points

               Forward               Bruce Bowen, San Antonio                 19            4                42

               Forward               Tim Duncan, San Antonio                   16            4                36

               Center                 Marcus Camby, Denver                      11            12               34

               Guard                  Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers                   14             4                32

               Guard                 Raja Bell, Phoenix                               7             11              25

 2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM

                Position              Player, Team                                    1st           2nd           Points

               Center                 Ben Wallace, Chicago                        12            9                33

               Guard                  Jason Kidd, New Jersey                     8             7                23

               Forward               Tayshaun Prince, Detroit                    7             7                21

               Forward               Kevin Garnett, Minnesota                   8             4                20

               Guard                  Kirk Hinrich, Chicago                         7             4                18

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses): Shane Battier, Houston, 17 (6); Shawn Marion, Phoenix, 15 (5); Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 13 (5); Ron Artest, Sacramento, 12 (4); Gerald Wallace, Charlotte, 11 (2); Alonzo Mourning, Miami, 9 (4); Devin Harris, Dallas, 8 (2); Tyson Chandler, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 8 (2); Josh Howard, Dallas, 7; Emeka Okafor, Charlotte, 6 (1); Luol Deng, Chicago, 5 (2); Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, 5 (1); Dwight Howard, Orlando, 5 (1); Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, 5; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 4 (1); Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 4 (1); Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 3 (1); Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana, 3 (1); Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 3; Deron Williams, Utah, 3; Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers, 2 (1); Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2; Trenton Hassell, Minnesota, 2 (1); Tony Parker, San Antonio, 2; Caron Butler, Washington, 2; Chris Duhon, Chicago, 1; Allen Iverson, Denver, 1; Udonis Haslem, Miami, 1; Richard Jefferson, New Jersey, 1; Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 1; Andre Miller, Philadelphia, 1; Joel Przybilla, Portland, 1; Francisco Elson, San Antonio, 1; Chris Bosh, Toronto, 1; Gilbert Arenas, Washington, 1.

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