NBA Awards Watch: Can Tim Duncan win Defensive Player of the Year?

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs – Father time has nothing on Tim Duncan. The 38-year-old has been dominant on defense this season, and his instincts and court awareness set him apart from the competition. More than just intangibles, though, Duncan’s numbers have been elite, as he sits sixth in the NBA in blocks (2.0 per game) while ranking in the top-five of both defensive rating and defensive win shares (per Basketball-Reference). The groundswell has begun in favor of Tim Duncan on defense, and even if this becomes a lifetime achievement award of sorts, his play this season is worthy of the nod.
2. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors – Green is darling of advanced metrics, but they are so staggering that he certainly warrants consideration. The 6-foot-7 power forward is stuffing the stat sheet to the the tune of 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, which is certainly elite given his position and size, but Green’s crown jewel is the fact that he currently leads the NBA in both defensive rating and defensive win shares. Traditionalists will scoff at Green’s inclusion, but it helps his case that Golden State has remained the top defense in the league despite injury concerns from Andrew Bogut, and Green’s versatility is invaluable to Steve Kerr’s bunch.
3. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz – Rim protection is huge in the NBA, and there is no one better than Rudy Gobert. The knock on his candidacy would be that Gobert is playing only 21.3 minutes per game, but his production on the defensive end has been staggering. The 22-year-old NBA sophomore is leading the league (by a wide margin) in allowing only 37.3% shooting to opponents at the rim, and he is blocking 2.3 shots per game, which amounts to 3.8 swats per 36 minutes. Shear size and athleticism is on the side of Utah’s defensive anchor, and I shutter to think what he would do with a 30-minute per night deployment.

Next: Rookie of the Year