Fansided

NBA Awards Watch: The Stephen Curry show rolls on

By Brad Rowland

Nov 30, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) puts up a shot in front of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) puts up a shot in front of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) reacts after a play against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls defeat the Spurs 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) reacts after a play against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls defeat the Spurs 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Player of the Year

  1. Tim Duncan, PF/C San Antonio Spurs – Duncan is plainly absurd. At the age of 39 (yes, 39), Duncan leads the NBA in ESPN’s defensive RPM by a wide margin, and he ranks in the top five in terms of defensive win shares. His raw “numbers” won’t jump off the page, though some of that has to do with a limited workload, but Duncan is also allowing less than 40% shooting in the restricted area, and he is always in the right place at the right time for what has been the NBA’s best defense this season. Kawhi Leonard might be the lynchpin of San Antonio’s overall attack, and that should be acknowledged, but Tim Duncan is ageless and fantastic.
  2. Hassan Whiteside, C Miami Heat – Whiteside is a highly confusing case. On one hand, he is on pace for a historic season in terms of blocked shots, averaging 4.7 per game in less than 30 minutes per game. That should be enough to garner him a lot of support for the DPOY award, but at the same time his effort is often inconsistent and he ranks outside of the top 25 in ESPN’s defensive RPM statistic. Make no mistake, Whiteside makes a major impact on defense, but without more consistency it is simultaneously tough to give him the top spot.
  3. Rudy Gobert, C Utah Jazz – The general consensus is that that Gobert is having a “down” year, and he has still been ridiculously good defensively. He ranks third in the NBA in blocked shots (2.6 per game), but the most impressive stat for Gobert is that he leads the league in deterring shots around the rim, to the tune of a 33.3% clip allowed around the rim. We have seen his upside on the defensive end, and I would argue that Gobert’s defensive ceiling is the highest in the league. With that, he can play “okay” basketball and still leave a big mark.

Next: Rookie of the Year

Home/Charlotte Hornets