http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2009.html#dpoy http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2008.html#dpoy http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2007.html#dpoy http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2005.html#dpoy Scratching my head at some of the names on those list.
Calm down, O young one. For the first 6 season of each... Hakeem has a significant edge on him in blocked shots. They are just about even in rebounds. Hakeem has double or more # of steals (The only big man in the All-time top 10 steals leader). There's your mobility. Hakeem was a better one on one defender, AND he was carrying the load on offense. Howard can devote a lot more energy on defense and still cannot match Hakeem's number. In addition, Hakeem was doing this against better competition when the league actually had a poll of very good centers. Back when Hakeem was putting up these kind of numbers, he was going up against centers like O'Neal, D. Robinson, Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, Larry Nance. Dwight, today, goes up against, *take your pick and it will be laughable*
Battier gets his highest vote when he actually plays worst defense in his years with Rockets. Again it proves those voters vote base on mostly reputation.
Dwight is by far the most dominant defensive force in the NBA today. There really isn't even a close second. The guy is an absolute beast.
I definitely think it's like this for the All-NBA Defensive teams. But honestly, who else was going to win DPOY?
Exactly. I wonder why so many people here belittle dwight howard. Is it because he smiles all the time and doesn't scowl or taunt his opponents after blocking shots? Last I checked Yao Ming is really the only center which consistenly owns him, however Yao So I guess blocking 9 shots (equivalent to saving 18 pts for his team) just count as "congrats he can block shots", while other guys like Duncan get 3 blocks a game and become "legit defensive players? I understand there's more to D than blocking shots but DH isn't exactly a stat-padder like Marcus Camby, DH's coached by one of the best defensive minds in the league today. He knows what he's doing on the court.
To those who thinks Dwight doesn't deserve the award, please name a player you think who is better defensively than Dwight. Battier? Hayes? Scola? or Kevin Martin?
To me, I don't like centers to be awarded the DPoY title. Centers, whether from HS or the college level, are taught to specifically play post defense, and go up and block shots, rebound, block out, etc. It's no wonder why centers usually have the most "defensive" statistics on their teams; of course they get first "pick" of deciding to block the shot if defenders drive on them. I think the award should go to players like Wallace, Josh Smith, hell, even LeBron James, because their primary job on the defensive end, is to stop penetration, not block a buttload of shots. This isn't saying that centers shouldn't be deserving of such an award; I just feel like the bias is more towards centers. Maybe I'm just thinking out loud here, but it would be nice if Centers / Power forwards had their own DPoY category, while the other three positions have their own.
That's what the All Defensive teams are for. Those include players of all positions. Centers usually win DPoY because they have the biggest impact on defense. They prevent other teams from getting high percentage shots around the rim.
Yeah, true. But if a scenario where Dwight and say, Josh Smith went 1 and 2 in voting, respectively, I think Josh would deserve it more. But again, I was just thinking out loud. Not trying to start a debate or anything.
Howard is a garbage man defender. Luckily for him, 95% of the centers today suck. So he can keep winning these.
Well the award goes to the best defensive player in the league, so obviously it would be geared towards big men because they really are the best defensive players in the league. Someone like Jordan may have locked people up better than someone like KG, but due to his size KG can discourage or make shots difficult for basically every single player on the enemy's team so he's really the better defensive player. Its the same thing with the scoring champion, its very rare for big men to win the scoring champion award because the swingmen are usually the players who score most points. Do you have to have a different category for this as well?
Just had a scary thought. Dwight Howard and LeBron James on the same team. Don't know if that's possible, but if NY or anyone pulled it off, automatic championships.
High percentage shots occur where? In the paint. Who are the players in the paint? The 4s and 5s. High percentage shots begets people driving into the lane, which begets PF / C positions to get the most opportunity to block / rebound. On offense, everyone has an opportunity to score. On defense, you can't really leave your man on the perimeter to chase down a cutter; instead, the cutter runs straight into the C, while the perimeter defender has to stay there. Therefore, it would make sense for a perimeter defender not to have as many blocks / rebounds as a C; thus, the defensive stats are naturally higher for Cs than PG / SG / SF positions. Again, not trying to start a debate; in fact, forget I even posted in this thread, lmao.
Someone should have mentioned Chuck Hayes....This guy battles people that are like a foot taller then him every game and give them trouble...Props Hayes, your a elite defender in my book!
