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NBA Awards Watch: The Anthony Davis Show

By Brad Rowland

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) gets knocked to the ground during a game against the Denver Nuggets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) gets knocked to the ground during a game against the Denver Nuggets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Player of the Year

  1. Roy Hibbert, C Indiana Pacers – Poor Roy. Hibbert is quietly turning in the best season of his NBA career while the Pacers languish with a banged-up roster and little to no talent. Still, the 7-foot-2 center is averaging 3.2 blocks per game, rebounding at a high level (8.1 per game, 9.6 per 36 minutes), and absolutely dominating in rim protection. Hibbert has long been the standard bearer for deterring opponents at the rim, but he is allowing only 38.4% shooting near the cup this season, and that is tremendous.
  2. Dwight Howard, C Houston Rockets – The Rockets are 9-2, and that is no surprise given how well Dwight Howard is playing. Howard looks like his old self, averaging 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game to anchor Houston’s defense, and like Hibbert, he has excelled in protecting the rim to the tune of only 38.3% shooting by opponents. It is aggressive to say that he is “back” to his Orlando days, but Howard is still elite on the defensive end by any measure, including a league-leading total in defensive win shares.
  3. Serge Ibaka, PF/C Oklahoma City Thunder – The 25-year-old big man has seen his block totals dip this season (1.9 per game), but aside from that, Ibaka has been every bit as dominant. It appears as if he has traded some blocks for better positioning, which isn’t always a negative, and with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the sideline, he has done everything asked of him in the early going.

Next: Rookie of the Year

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