The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award has been around since 1983. As far as honors go in the league, it is the defensive equivalent of the Most Valuable Player Award.
While teams cannot win without putting points up on the board, most analysts feel that a strong defense is necessary for a team to win a championship. At the very least, defense in the game of basketball is just as important as the offense.
But is this prestigious award given to the most deserving candidate each year? Are the greatest defensive players recognized on a consistent basis? The evidence seems to suggest otherwise.
Part of the issue is based on how the award is decided upon. Each year, the winner is selected by a panel of 124 sports broadcasters and analysts throughout the United States and Canada.
Unlike the All-Defensive Team that is selected by NBA coaches who see up-close the best defensive players in the game on a nightly basis, sportswriters and broadcasters are one step removed from the game. It is possible, without fully realizing the impact players have on the defensive end of the court, that they could be swayed by impressive defen ...
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Article written by Ethan S
Are the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Awards Decided Upon Appropriately?
September 17th, 2010 by Ethan S Leave a reply »
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