Fansided

NBA Awards Watch: The Final Ballot

By Brad Rowland

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 29: Stephen Curry at ORACLE Arena on March 29, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 29: Stephen Curry at ORACLE Arena on March 29, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
SAN ANTONIO,TX – MARCH 12: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs focuses on defense against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center on March 12, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO,TX – MARCH 12: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs focuses on defense against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center on March 12, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

Defensive Player of the Year

  1. Kawhi Leonard, SF San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs have an historically dominant defense that allows 96.6 points per 100 possessions. Kawhi Leonard is at the center of it all. That does not automatically make him the DPOY front-runner, but Leonard is the best wing defender in the NBA, using his length and athleticism to deter opponents on a regular basis, and that is what matters to me. To be fair, this isn’t a clear-cut choice and we’ll touch on his competition shortly, but San Antonio allowed fewer than 95 points per 100 possessions with Leonard on the floor and he is just suffocating on that end. This is an award where voters are always asked to split hairs, but for me, the overall profile from Leonard is just a tick better.
  2. Draymond Green, PF Golden State Warriors – Green is scary good defensively and, as an offensive player, he has made incredible strides in becoming an All-NBA player. His versatility is unmatched in today’s NBA, with the ability to legitimately defend guards while operating as the center for the best team in the league. Golden State took a slight step back defensively from a team standpoint, finishing 4th in net rating, but they are completely different with Green on the court, operating at a dominant level with a 97.5 defensive rating. If you want to vote for Draymond, be my guest. It is that close. I’ll take Kawhi.
  3. Paul Millsap, PF Atlanta Hawks – Well, this is a wide open race. I flip-flopped on this a few times, considering players like Rudy Gobert, who is the best rim protector in the NBA. However, Millsap was so, so good for an Atlanta team that had no business being as good defensively as they were. The talented power forward is the only player in the NBA that averaged more than 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals per game (ranking in the top 12 of the league in both categories), and Millsap was at the center of the second-best team defense in the league (98.8 points allowed per 100). He is super versatile with some of the best hands in the NBA, and while passing on Gobert and Hassan Whiteside might be controversial, Millsap’s performance is worthy of inclusion despite the clear drop off from the two-man top tier.

Next: Rookie of the Year

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers