NBA Awards Watch: James Harden takes charge

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors – Green is not your typical Defensive Player of the Year candidate, in that he doesn’t have a singular dominant skill that ascends from the stat sheet. The 24-year-old forward does rank among the league’s top 20 in both steals (1.6) and blocks (1.4) per game, but it is in the more advanced numbers that we see his value. Green leads the NBA in both defensive rating and defensive win shares, and with Golden State playing defense at a comically dominant level (97.6 points per 100, to lead the NBA), his case is made clear.
2. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder – Green isn’t the traditional candidate, but Ibaka is. Oklahoma City’s big man is averaging 2.36 blocks per game (second in the NBA) and he is allowing opponents to shoot just 40.2% at the rim this season. There is no one who has been more prolific as a rim protector in recent seasons than Ibaka, and his athletic ability and length make him a more than capable defender in pick-and-roll and perimeter situations as well. You simply can’t go wrong with Serge Ibaka behind you.
3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs – Much like Green at the top, Duncan’s candidacy is more nuanced than that statistics would indicate. At 38 years old, the best power forward of all-time is operating at a level that we’ve never seen by a big man of his age, and Duncan is blocking 1.9 shots per game in less than 30 minutes per contest. He ranks among the top-6 in both defensive rating and defensive win shares, and the Spurs appear lost without him when he isn’t deployed defensively. Fundamentally sound is an understatement.

Next: Rookie of the Year