Yeah, I mean that's who I would have voted for. Stats aren't everything, but obviously he was a defensive monster this year. So who actually deserved to win it?
Well I guess I'm out of the loop with this award. To me being DOPY means you are locking down the other team's best player, or in his case the other team's best post player. Or at least leading the best defensive team in the NBA. Can either claim be made about Howard? Not IMHO.
Defensive player of the year is not a team award, it is about individual accomplishments on the defensive end of the floor. Dwight dominated there, therefore he won.
So, doesn't that handicap big men a decent amount (the first condition of your requirements) given that they're not going to be guarding the Kobes and LeBrons of the league?
I can see Dwight getting the DPOY. LeBron as well I guess, but Dwyane Wade third? Wade gambles a lot and gets steals, but I don't see him being that great of a defender.
Well if you count Artest as a guard, only twice in the last twenty years has a guard won the award. So I don't think its a requirement for the award, just something I think should be in consideration. Clearly I have everything ass backwards because everyone seems to agree that Dwight deserved it. Dominated the box score, maybe. Just look at the last month of the season and see him getting outworked by the likes of Brook Lopez, Chris Bosh, Yao Ming, and Dave Lee. Blocks are a dubious defensive stat. How many times a game does Dwight spike a ball into the fifth row instead of collecting it and getting a turnover for his team? Blocking a shot out of bounds just gives the ball back to the other team. No doubt he is a great rebounder.
The Magic were #1 in the NBA in Defensive efficiency, giving up only 101.9 point per 100 possesions. Boston was #2 at 102.3... As far as this award going more to bigmen, I think that's just the way it should be. They have much more of an impact on a teams overall defense, a great wing defender can make life difficult for 1 guy, but a great bigman can effect way more defensive possessions. Intimidating/swatting drivers, pick n roll defense, rebounding misses (every good defensive stand has to end with a defensive board), etc.
Fall 2007, one of the NBA preview magazines picked Greg Oden to win DPOY in his rookie year! I was stoked. Then MF surgery and a lackluster season.
