ESPN--A case for Elton Brand as DPOY

do you prefer brand to griffin

 

Here ya go
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Let me ask a simple question:

Why isn't Elton Brand a candidate for defensive player of the year?

I know what you're thinking: Wait, Elton Brand? The guy who makes $17 million to average 11 points per game and has limited mobility? That Elton Brand?

Yes, I'm talking about that Elton Brand, and here's why:

He checks off more boxes on the defensive player of the year rubric than just about any big man in the league.

Not a believer? Start at the team level. If you look at the history of the defensive player of the year vote, you'll notice a pretty obvious trend: The winner almost always hails from a top defensive team. Over the past decade, here are the ranks of the DPOY in team defensive rating, starting with the most recent: 3rd, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 11th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 8th.

With the exception of Marcus Camby in 2006-07 and Ben Wallace in 2001-02, you see that every DPOY winner comes from a top-5 defensive team in the league. Obviously this makes sense. This team-then-player philosophy is largely the same logic behind the MVP award as well. In that vein, the Philadelphia 76ers, unbeknownst to too many fans, remain the top defensive team in the league. Sure, the Sixers have been in a standings freefall for some time now, but blame the offense for that; their defense has ranked second in efficiency since the All-Star break. So, Brand has that going for him right off the bat.

Secondly, believe it or not, Brand has the box score stats to back up his candidacy. Brand is in the midst of a career year in defensive stops department, averaging 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Here's the long list of players who can match Brand in those two categories: Howard and Josh Smith. That's it. You'll see Smith and Howard on the list of defensive player of the year candidates, but probably not the big man in Philadelphia.
[+] EnlargeBrand
Rob Carr/Getty ImagesOpponents tend to forget about Brand's massive 7-foot-5.5 wingspan.

Now, Brand might have lost a step or two after Achilles surgery, but he simply has a knack for the ball thanks to his sharp instincts and airplane-like 7-foot-5.5-inch wingspan. In fact, among NBA players, only Bismack Biyombo has a longer wingspan at Brand's height, according to DraftExpress' pre-draft measurement database. And night in and night out, his length continues to catch opposing players by surprise despite his 12-year track record in the league.

Take Tuesday, for instance. Heading into a matchup against the Sixers, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra specifically wrote in the game's scouting report to beware of Brand's hands in the lane. "He's very deceptively long," Spoelstra told the media before Tuesday's game. "He's one of the best at stripping the ball, and thanks to his aesthetics, his natural gifts are very underrated." And what happened in that game? Despite the Heat's prep work, Brand got his hand on the ball three times in the Heat's first five possessions. When the final buzzer sounded, Brand had collected four steals and three blocks in just 31 minutes of action.

So, Brand has the team qualifications and the traditional box score stats on his side, but we're just getting started. Sure, Brand has his hands on the ball in the lane and at the rim, but what about his post defense?

Defending the post-up
Chris Bosh
AP Photo/Wilfredo LeeBosh said Brand is immovable as a "tree stump."

Synergy Sports Technology, a video tracking service provided to NBA teams, tracks every possession of every game played in the NBA and slices each game into play types. One of the plays Synergy tracks is the post-up; it analyzes how many points a player allows in those situations. So where does Brand rank in points allowed on post-up plays? First. Nobody is better this season. Not Howard. Not Andrew Bynum. Not Kevin Garnett.

In fact, according to Synergy tracking, there are 39 players who have defended at least 100 post-up plays this season, and Brand ranks first in points allowed per post-up play (0.582). And it's not really close. The distance between Brand and the second-ranked player Marc Gasol (.664) is the about the same distance between Gasol and the 13th-ranked player Samuel Dalembert (.750). Opponents going against Brand in the post have shot an abysmal 31 percent on their field goals, but more importantly, Brand plays them clean, as they earn a trip to the free throw line only once every 20 tries. For reference, players going against Howard go to the line four times as often as Brand.

And as Spoelstra emphasized Tuesday, the key to Brand's defensive success is that he's wildly deceptive. Just when a post player thinks he can score on a 6-foot-9 veteran who's lost a step, Brand will extend his Go-Go-Gadget arms and distract him just enough to alter the shot without fouling. Not only that, at 280 pounds, Brand is virtually unmovable on the block. After Tuesday's game, Brand's defense prompted Chris Bosh to shake his head and groan that the 33-year-old is "like a tree stump." Indeed, the length of a tree and anchored like a stump.
Brand's worth
Luol Deng
AP Photo/Brian KerseyIguodala has been Philly's best defender, but Brand has been equally important.

How essential has Brand been to the Sixers?

First, consider that, due to Spencer Hawes injuries, the team has alternated between starting rookie LaVoy Allen and 87-year-old Tony Battie at the center slot, and it's still a top defensive team. Despite all the turnover at the center slot, Brand has posted the best on-court defensive efficiency in the NBA among players with 1,000 minutes. According to basketballvalue.com, opposing offenses have mustered just 96.1 points per 100 possessions with Brand on the floor. Underscoring his impact on the squad, the Sixers surrender three points more every 100 possessions when he steps off the floor.

Now, you might be thinking: Isn't Andre Iguodala the reason for Sixers' defensive prowess? No doubt, Iguodala has been masterful as a perimeter defender, and he probably belongs ahead of Brand in the DPOY conversation. But it should be noted that the Sixers' defense falls apart when either of them steps off the floor. When Iguodala doesn't have Brand on his side, the Sixers' defense becomes 4.6 points worse on the defensive end. Without Iguodala on the court, the Brand-led defense becomes 7.5 points less stingy. Iguodala might be Philadelphia's most essential defender, but considering all the stated credentials above, Brand isn't too far behind.

So, let's recap. Team dominance? Check. Blocks and steals? Check. Post-up effectiveness? Check. Plus-minus impact? Check. What's holding Brand back? Minutes and reputation. Because of the condensed season and his age, Brand plays just 29 minutes per game, which puts him in the same boat as Kevin Garnett. But if you're going to include Garnett or Serge Ibaka (27.3 minutes per game) as a candidate, it doesn't make sense to leave out Brand.

As for reputation, few labels are tougher to shed than the "overpaid star" label. His coach Doug Collins recently went on record to state that over his 40-year career in the league, no one has been more professional than Brand. But even lofty praise like that can't remove the stink from his near-$20 million salary. What's more, it doesn't help Brand's case that he plays for a team that hasn't been in the national consciousness since Allen Iverson retired.

No, Brand shouldn't be the favorite for defensive player of the year; he simply hasn't played enough to warrant top consideration. But considering all the evidence suggesting he's one of the league's top defenders, starting for the league's top defense, Brand should at least be in the conversation.

Yes, that Elton Brand.

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The case is the league does not want to give it to Lebron.

 

Great to see he still contributes. Ive always like Brand. If he never had that injury/operation setback, he would be one of the top PFs in the game. Guaranteed 20/10 beast. In his prime he would be better then Z-Bo and Jefferson their prime.

I love how he hasnt given up and tries to justify his salary. Just look at Rashard Lewis and Hedo. He still tries to get better, tries to find more ways to contribute for the team. Great exapmle to lead by.

 

Elton Brand and his long ass arms

 

Elton has always been a great player and a class guy, but DPOY he is not.

 

Doe this writer seek your attention? Yes, he does.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story?id=7062607&_slug_=nba-why-blake-griffin-kevin-garnett

 

LOL, he needs to get a jumpshot first, it MIGHT be a discussion haha

 

As a defender? Hell yes.

Does anyone ever watch Blake Griffin play and think what a terrific defensive player he is? No

Elton has been a very good defender his whole career. Blake is the better all around talent as of now for sure but if we are just talking defense then I take Elton Brand easily.

 

Brand was the most consistent player in the league before his injury. You could count on him to give you 20/10 and good defense every night.

 

I don't get it, overrated and just a dunker? You don't average 22-12 by being a good dunker. Why isn't Tyrus Thomas, Mcgee, Jordan, and whoever else who is super athletic and a great dunker dropping 20-10...he did that his rookie year without Chris Paul as well....I am not a fna, but man this guy gets a lot of hate on this board