The Defensive Player of the Year award is not as highly anticipated as the Most Valuable Player nod, but this year is probably the most interesting race in history.
It's hard to believe that in this age of basketball where shooting reigns supreme and offense is at its highest, defense is still the key to winning championships. It's the opposite of the 1990s when emphasizing defense meant "ugly ball" with scores averaging in the 80s.
However, this decade saw defense thrive along with a rise in offense which would improve the quality of the game. Teams should be able to showcase both shooting and toughness on defense. As epitomized by the two teams with the best records, they have two defensive anchors that often make dictate the outcome of their contests.
Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs has stamped his name on the Defensive Player of the Year award as he has taken home the plum in the last two seasons. He is silent but deathly efficient, sharp and methodical yet unrelenting.
While the spotlight on Leonard this season is on flourishing offense, he is still defined by his effort on the other end of the court-and he also defines the standard that any other player who dreams of receiving the DPOY award should meet.
One player that has openly declared his attempt to take the award from Kawhi is Draymond Green from their Western Conference rivals Golden State Warriors. His statements to Chris Haynes of ESPN as early as November:
"That's something that I want to win," Green said. "And if there's anything I've ever been selfish about, it's that award. Like, I want that award."
"That doesn't bother me to say I'm selfish in that regard. I want that award bad," Green reiterated. "And that's because I view myself as a defender. It's like if I view myself as a scorer then I want to win the scoring title. If I am a scorer and I say I'm a scorer and that's what I do, I want to win the scoring title because it says I was the best in this year at what I do. So that is something that I want to win."
Will he finally topple Leonard this year? Some pundits would think so. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer gave his midseason vote to Green and what gave him the edge is his versatility that not even Leonard can match.
"All things considered, Green's fellow DPOY contenders simply can't match the breadth of his defensive utility." Tjarks argued that "the Spurs don't use Leonard as a situational 5 (they might because of Pau Gasol's injury), though I would sure like to see them try at some point. Until they do, it's hard for his defense to have quite as much of an impact as Green's. If he's not the best defensive player in the league, he is the most important."
Green has guarded point guards to centers competently and while Leonard also takes on the opponents' best player, the Spurs don't rely on him for interior defense (yet), but that does not mean he is incapable.
This slight edge favors Green and the additional offensive workload that Leonard now shoulders (Leonard is tops in his team in scoring, Green has three All-Stars and two scoring champions and MVPs alongside him) may shift his focus, but this duel will definitely go down the wire.