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.
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 le in 2004 and get to the finals last year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5583310
This is complete Bull .
Well, that sucks.
It's all about the numbers I guess. Sadly, I don't know if Bowen will ever win one.
Lame...Bowen deserves it.
This is bull . When will Bowen get his due? Have you looked at the players stats that he guards... all season vs. being guarded by Bowen. This is astounding !
That really, I mean really sucks.
I like Big Ben, but Bowen should be DPOY of this year.
Obviously it can't be about the numbers...Wallace has some blocks and steals, but Bowen has a better offensive game so that cancels it out. Wallace doesn't have impressive numbers across the board either. What amazes me is that of the Pistons games I have watched this season, Ben Wallace hasn't been as great as he has been in previous years.
Bowen on the other hand has been clearly, clearly outstanding. Today's game is just a testament to that. It can't even be called homerism, because I honestly thought this season it was clear-cut that Bruce is the leagues DPOY.
Remember, these are the same voters who think we live in the Era of Steve Nash Domination.
(although Ben is actually a reasonable choice)
Bowen showed today why he deserves DPOY. This just proves that the people who get to vote don't actually watch basketball. Bowen guarding Dirk so effectively, to say nothing of how he guards the Kobe Bryants of the league (high scoring guards) is so much more impressive than ANYTHING BEN WALLACE HAS EVER DONE IN HIS ENTIRE F-ING CAREER.
This is bull . I really thought this was the year the committee pulled their heads out of their asses and gave it to Bowen. Apparently not.
Why would his offensive game cancel it out? This is Defensive Player of the Year.
Figured this would happen..
This was a lazy pick.
But I'll bet bruce would prefer the June Hardware instead.
GO SPURS GO!!!
Whoever picks the winners = in stupid
i agree with him
it's a defensive award but you make some good points. Wallace hasn't played well as in previous years but they are giving him the nod because of his style of play.
The commentators are blowing him on any single good play he makes. Add the print media to that list. Bowen never gets enough respect.
Bowen was better in defense than Ben Wallace. Thats a big .
Big load of bull . This was arguably the best chance he's ever gonna get to win that award and he gets shafted. I only hope it doesn't affect his game, that he doesn't bother playing defense anymore. I'm pretty sure he knows better than to give up, and it might just fuel him, but it has to hurt.
These idiot voters gave it to Artest one year so they really have no excuse for not giving to Bowen other than the fact that they don't respect his game and they believe that he's "dirty"
C'mon, Ben Wallace is a good pick. It is not completely ridiculous like the Nash landslide.
The Pistons deserve some regular season awards for an absolutely great season.
Congratulations Ben Wallace.
Bruce - You are All-NBA 1st Team, and definitely All-World 1st team.
Ncali,
you honestly think Wallace deserved it over Bowen!??!
God PIstons fans said he didn't deserve it.
God you post like Dirk Nowitzki.
I wouldn't say Ben Wallace was a bad choice, he would be my second choice, but I was really wishing Bowen would get it so yeah, it hurts that Bowen didn't get it.
Within 48 hours, Bowen guarded Mike Bibby and Dirk Nowitski. I ing challenge Ben Wallace to lock down a guard for an entire game, because Bruce has defeinitely locked down 7 footers.
This is bull . Wallace is good, but he's not good enough to win almost every ing year.
Funny how the Spurs without this seasons MVP, DPOY, MIP, COY or ROY managed to win the WC with 63 wins and yet no one outside the loyal Spurs fans thinks they can win it all. This team really is flying under the radar this year, just the way POP likes it.
Go ING SPURS Go!!!
Within 48 hours, Bowen guarded Mike Bibby and Dirk Nowitski. I ing challenge Ben Wallace to lock down a guard for an entire game, because Bruce has defeinitely locked down 7 footers.
This is bull . Wallace is good, but he's not good enough to win almost every ing year.
Ben Wallace rebounds, and blocks shots.
He also guards bigs well.
But he couldn't guard a Dirk, or a Bibby.
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