Defensive Player of the Year
2020 Finalists
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Anthony Davis
Rudy Gobert
Sean: Anthony Davis
This award is difficult to determine because a lot of it depends on team defense as a whole. The Lakers rank 3rd in defensive rating while Milwaukee is ranked first but where the Lakers separate themselves is in defending the perimeter. They rank top 7 in both opponent’s field goal percentage and 3 point percentage. In my opinion, that credit belongs with Anthony Davis. When Davis is on the floor, the Lakers defenders focus on checking their individual assignments because they know they have a human eraser behind them. He’s capable of guarding on the perimeter and protecting the paint and in today’s NBA, those skills are very valuable. Davis is averaging 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks this season and seems to be everywhere on the floor at once. He’s my pick.
Brandon: Anthony Davis
AD does so much defensively. It’s truly amazing to watch. On the season, Davis finished 3rd in blocks per game, 14h in total rebounds (something I actually wish he did better), 14th in steals per game, and first in players with a unibrow. AD has to patrol the paint, switch onto guards, block shots, get steals, and bail out the sh*tty Lakers guards. Giannis has better analytics, but I strongly believe AD should be the DPOY.
Rami: Giannis Antetokounmpo
I whole-heartedly wanted to go with Gobert here. After all, he did shut the entire league down back in mid-March. While Davis has posted incredible numbers, I ultimately chose Giannis due to his versatility. Giannis’s athleticism and skill allow him to perfectly match up with any position. From a statistical standpoint, he ranks first in defensive rating, first in defensive win shares, second in defensive rebound percentage, and first in defensive box plus/minus. All signs point to Giannis (again).
Big Bird nailed it except for MVP…. I’d give the MVP to LeBron as he lifted and carried a team flawed in shooting the three.
Big Bird’s picks…
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo – easy pick, has taken a subpar Bucks team from 4 years ago to a strong championship contender this season – without him they would be an average team.
ROTY: Ja Morant – easily the most exciting rookie to watch this season as well as helping to lead his team to the playoffs (sorta)
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo – I promise I’m not wet on this guy, but his length, speed, quickness and court IQ makes him a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end!
Sixth Man: Lou Williams – the seasoned veteran knows his role and embraces it every season…that role being a scoring machine and a tough defender.
MIP: Bam Adebayo – easy pick here, going from a little known player to a household name among nba fans with his versatile playing style and role playing on the Heat. He’s been helping them go up 3-0 on the Pacers!
COTY: Nick Nurse – the NBA champion last year hasn’t missed a beat this season and has put his team in a strong position to repeat with Leonard