Fansided

NBA Awards Watch: Karl-Anthony Towns leads two-man race for Rookie of the Year

By Brad Rowland

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives against the defense of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives against the defense of Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) is defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Player of the Year

  1. Kawhi Leonard, SF San Antonio Spurs – Leonard is a certified monster on the defensive end. He is the best defender on the best defense in the league, with San Antonio allowing just 94.8 points per 100 possessions on the year, and Leonard’s individual accomplishments aren’t in doubt. He ranks among the league’s top 10 in defensive rating, defensive win shares (where he leads), defensive RPM and steals, and the list rolls on and on with regard to Kawhi’s defensive impact. The DPOY award is pretty subjective in nature, but if Kawhi Leonard isn’t among your top three, it is time to reevaluate your criteria.
  2. Draymond Green, PF/C Golden State Warriors – Green holds his opponents to just 37.1% shooting when he guards them, which is nearly an eight-point dip from the NBA average. For the uninitiated, that might not mean much, but it is yet another descriptor of his tremendous defensive impact. The Warriors aren’t nearly as good defensively as they were a season ago, but Green is arguably performing at an even higher level, and when he plays, Golden State allows only 95.0 points per 100 possessions. His versatility in allowing the coaching staff to deploy what look to be insane lineups is invaluable, and it is hard to overstate how tremendous Draymond Green is defensively. You can’t go wrong with either of the top two players on this list for the award.
  3. Serge Ibaka, PF/C Oklahoma City Thunder – There is a huge gap after the top two, but somebody has to finish third and I’m rolling with Ibaka. He ranks second in the NBA in total blocks and fourth in the NBA in blocks per game (2.1), but that is only part of his candidacy. Ibaka trails only little-used JaMychal Green and Rudy Gobert (who has missed half the season) in terms of protecting the rim, allowing his opponents to shoot only 40.9% in the basket area. Beyond that, the Thunder are jarringly better defensively when he is on the court, allowing less than a point per possession (with a +12.1 net rating), and Ibaka is still causing all kinds of havoc with his length and athleticism.

Next: Rookie of the Year

Home/Atlanta Hawks