Three favorites for 2011’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association’s Defensive Player of the Year Award is given on annual basis like most of the other NBA awards. This award started during the 1982-83 NBA season and the first person ever to receive it was Sidney A. Moncrieff who played as the shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks.
DPOY might not be the most credited award like Most Valuable Player (MVP) or Rookie of the year awards, but still its popularity has grown in the last two decades. Legends like Dennis Rodman and Alonzo Mourning were also awarded with it more than one time. The winner is usually selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters from all over Canada and the United States. Dwight Howard of Orlando Magic won this honor twice in a row; first in 2009 and then second in 2010. Experts predict that Dwight could possibly win this award again in 2011, however, there are many other deserving players also who could very well compete and have a great chance of grasping the DPOY.
Topping the list of such players once again is Lebron James whose relentlessness as a defense player has been well noted by the basketball fans. With Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade sharing the load with him on the Miami Heat, it has been made easier for James to go conserve his energy on the offensive side while explode on the defensive. His performance over the years has increased with 1.6 steals and 1.0 block per game. He has made some tremendous block over the years leaving the opponents flabbergasted. One of his main moves is to travel along the contender and jump exactly with him as they take a layup, without breaking the momentum while also smashing his hand from the side making a monster block. James has already made it to the All-Defensive First Team twice in recent years.
Standing at 6’11”, another DPOY title favorite, Dwight Howard, has great agility and his robustness is immense, with a high record of 13.2 rebounds along with 2.9 blocks per game, which is outstanding. At only 24, he has proved to be one of the toughest contenders in the NBA. He is often considered to be the champion due to his larger than life persona. He also made it to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Dwight’s weaknesses are his weak layups and the fact that he can’t shoot from behind the 2-point line but all this is overshadowed by his leadership qualities and work ethics. He remains true to his pet name “Superman” and is the backbone of the Orlando Magic.
At no.3 comes Josh Smith. For some, even considering him for the award might seem ludicrous but nevertheless it doesn’t change the fact that he landed in the NBA All-Defensive Second-Team this year and has certainly established himself as a great defense player. It also does not refute the fact that in 2007 he broke the 500-block mark, which made him the youngest ever player to do so in the NBA history. Smith also made a record last year for blocking 900 shots against the Washington Wizards and this year in February he made yet another record for being the youngest player to block 1000 shots.
Smith was picked by the Atlanta Hawks in 2004 as the 17th pick overall. Since then he has remained a patriot to his franchise. The young player has made his stronghold in the NBA for being ruthless at defense. Being left-handed makes things extremely easy for him. He is often compared to Ben Wallace, although Smith is much quicker on his feet and with a bad attitude. He has yet to win a DPOY in his six-year career despite remarkable efforts. His fans also hope that this year he’ll take a lot of votes.
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