<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons has won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, a source within the league said Monday morning. The Pistons scheduled an afternoon news conference, and the source, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, said Wallace would be presented with the award at that time. Wallace also won it in 2002 and 2003. During the regular season, he ranked fifth with 2.38 blocks per game, second with 12.2 rebounds a game and 23rd with 1.43 steals a game. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center ranks second in the playoffs with three blocks a game. </div> http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm3983_20050502.htm
There was no real stand out for the DPOY like in recent years. It could have gone to anyone really. I would have voted for Shawn Marion or Marcus Camby for the award. Congratulations to him though!
Can't argue really. The only one more deservig this year was Marion, but Wallace is always one of the top defenders.
Camby should've gotten it...Ben already has 2 and he's more of a team defender.I remember like it was yesterday when Mutombo dropped 20+ points on him and Ben couldn't do anything cause Mutombo just shot over him.(It was the year when Ben got his first DPOY) 3 players I would've given it to before Ben: 1.Camby 2.Marion 3.Prince
Camby is a team defender himself, he's not a better one on one defender than Wallace is. They're both team defenders, and depending on the matchup, one could be better than the other man to man, but neither is a great man to man defender.
I think they voted for Ben Wallace because their wasn't a clear cut winner, and Ben Wallace seemed like a safe pick since he's won it in years past. I don't think he was the best defender in the league defender, or the best defender on his team (Price was). Ben really isn't a "great defender", he's good at the team defense...helping out (with his blocks), weak side help (with his blocks), his intimidation to change shots, his steals in the paint and so on. One one one, if you put him on the teams best big man, he probably won't guard them like the best defenders (at their posistion) on other teams would (e.g. Bowen, EJ, Iguodala, Marion,). That job would belong to Rasheed Wallace. If he did guard them, he won't shut them down, he'll do an average job but not DPOY like D. He will though make the big clutch plays on D like taking the charge are chaning the shot (block). Some players who made significant impacts on defense this year, by playing good Team D and One on One D are Marion, Prince, Iguodala and Duncan. I would say all of them deserve DPOY more than Ben (except for TD due to missed games). However, i'm not to sure about Iguodala, because he did play some tremendous D on some of the best in the league, but at times he had problem with certain players throughout the season (Carter owned him this season).
Prince was a good candidate for the award..But there is not doubt in my mind that Wallace deserved the title, again!
Ben wallace should thank the Pistons fans for getting ROn Artest suspended because he probably wouild've won dpoy, ben is prob. the best candidate though. Maybe Marion.
It wasn`t an easy pick this year for DPOY at all, I personally went with Larry Hughes and I was also leaning towards Marion. But I agree with what Banks said. The NBA knows what kind of defense Ben produces each year but he isn`t like a great 1 on 1 defender which a DPOY winner should have. But in the end, congrats to Big Ben for the award.
naw <div class="quote_poster">Quoting QbanBalla15:</div><div class="quote_post">Maybe Marion.</div> Shawn Marion is an UNBELIEVABLE defender...on SFs and small PFs. Against the bigger PFs he is a slightly above average defender but nothing special. If he played just SF and only had to defend SFs he would be one of the best defenders in the league but against the bigger PFs he isnt that great.
