Didnt see this posted anywhere, so here is the link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...?slug=ap-nbadefensiveplayer&prov=ap&type=lgns AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit center Ben Wallace won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award for the fourth time in five years, a person within the Pistons organization told The Associated Press on Sunday. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the award has not been announced, said Wallace will be presented with the award Tuesday night before Game 2 of the second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. "Is that for sure? Don't get me excited over nothing now," Wallace said after Detroit beat the Cavs 113-86 in the series opener. "That means a lot. That's my pride and joy." The Pistons said after the game that they would have a news conference Monday for an important announcement. Wallace joins Dikembe Mutombo as the only four-time Defensive Player of the Year in league history. The muscular 6-foot-9, 240-pounder also won the award last year in 2003 and 2002. Detroit won an NBA-high and franchise-record 64 games during the regular season, helped by the work Wallace did while being honored as an All-Star for the fourth straight year. Wallace ranked fourth in the NBA in rebounding (11.3), ninth in blocks (2.2) and 10th in steals (1.78) -- the only player among the top 10 in all three categories -- and led one of the NBA's top teams at the defensive end of the court. He became the fifth player in league history to have 100 blocks and 100 steals in six straight seasons, a list that includes Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, Sam Lacey and David Robinson. Wallace scored 7.3 points a game this season, and has not averaged double digits in any of his 10 years in the league. Despite his lack of scoring, he is a key reason the Pistons have become one of the NBA's best teams in recent years. And Wallace -- with his trademark Afro or cornrows -- is clearly a sports celebrity in Detroit. His popularity is rivaled only by that of Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, who might retire this offseason. Detroit acquired Wallace from Orlando along with Chucky Atkins in a sign-and-trade deal for Grant Hill before the 2000-01 season. The building block for the Pistons' turnaround helped them advance in the playoffs in 2002 -- for the first time since 1991 -- to the conference finals in 2003, win a title in 2004 and get to the finals last year. There are alot debates about who should win the MVP award but how about the defensive player of the year? Ben Wallace averages less rebounds and less blocks this season than his previous seasons. Does he deserve this award? But then again, there arent many quality defensive players this season, Bruce Bowen, Kirinlenko, Artest?? Please discuss.....
Ya, Camby averaged more blocks and rebounds than Wallace. Hell, Camby even averaged more points and assists than Wallace but I think Camby missed too many games and Wallace's team record is better thus won it.....
AK has better all around stats but defensively Wallace did barely edge him out. I think Garnett would be the 3rd choice for it. Look for Dwight Howard, Shawn Marion, and Elton Brand to be major contenders for it next year as well.
I couldn't agree more, RyBo not getting this award is a travesty. The people voting for these awards just go with the hype instead of on court performance.
Hakeem got jiffed....no offense to Big Ben but Hakeem was raffling the DoPs with Mutombo & Robinson who are better shot blockers/ rebounders/interior defenders as well as scoring double digits. 100 blocks and 100 steals for 6 consecutive is impressive but Hakeem had 11 straight seasons of 200-100! Anyway such is the times... I was happy when Slam did an old-school feature on Dream...memories of the Great One.
ding ding ding we have a winner wallace wins this award 4 times and dream only won it twice. this is how things get skewed when people only look at numbers. 4-time v. 2-time winner....wallace is clearly a better defender than dream
That's a joke. He didn't deserve it last year, doesn't deserve it this year. What a scam. I wish Hakeem had racked up DPOY awards as cheaply as Wallace did. Hakeem got screwed in 93 and at least one other season before that. Defensive POY and all-defense awards have gotten silly. They keep putting Jason Kidd on the all-D team every year. I can't rembmer the last time I said "wow, look at Kidd just shut the other team down", if ever.
Nice point made. Ryan Bowen flying at Antwan Jamison and tripping backwards over his own two feet was the defensive play of the year.
Who else was supposed to get it? No one else seperated themselves from this debate so they gave it to Mr. Ben Wallace, don't get mad at Ben Wallace because he has four of them and Hakeem has two. Not his fault that David Robinson, Michael Jordan, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Dennis Rodman have all retired. Not that hard to be a better defensive player than Ron "half a season" Artest, Bruce "I guard my guy and no else" Bowen, Marcus "my pinky hurts" Camby, the only guy who had a legit beef was Andrie "I cry after Paul Pierce scores 40 on me" Kirilenko.
The best defender in the game is Tru Warier. But he didn't play enough. If nobody really deserves it that much, then just take "turns" give it to Camby Pamby and Kiri-wiri.
Camby and Artest played the exact same number of games... Kirilenko has a legit beef, because he can defend entire teams just like Big Ben when he's on, he'll get his eventually because Artest is too unstable, maybe three or four and then people will complain about him getting more than Dream.
Well Tru Warier has been screwed every single time for the past 3 years, IMO (the last 2 becuase he screwed himself) but I just don't think that Wallace is the most dominant defensive force in the game anymore, not like he was 4 years ago.
I've always though that Wallace was more reputation than anything. He's a great defender, yes, but his team gives him chances to gamble. Plus, only 3 other players at his position need some serious 1 on 1 defense so he's free to leave his man whenever on most nights. 3 centers=Shaq, Dampier, Yao OF course in that order. I might even put Dampier as MDC right now.
Come on guys, I know people like AK, Ron-Ron, Bruce Bowen, The Matrix, and hell even Gerald Wallace deserve the award, but are they the anchor of one of the best defenses in the league? Only Bruce Bowen's team has good defense out of all of those, and he's not even really the defensive anchor. You don't get to be being the best team in the league without the best or one of the best defenses in the league, and Big Ben is very important to that team's defense. Although I think he's a little less deserving this season than others, I still think he should get it. They're going to need Big Ben to shut down Z and try to stop Shaq. I think he'll get it done.
