This article doesn't actually go into any detail (or case for why Kawhi should be DPOY) but thought I'd post it anyway. He seems to have a strong candidacy to me, and the only real points against are number of games missed and the fact that Duncan could also get some votes and split any "Spurs vote."
Here's the article:
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/k...he-year-040615
Kawhi Leonard just might swoop in and steal the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.
The soft-spoken San Antonio forward has played in only 59 games this season because of injuries, but he is healthy at the right time to help theSpurs surge up the Western Conference ladder as the playoffs approach.
The Spurs have won seven straight and Leonard is leading the way with some truly dominant defense. He had seven steals in a victory over theGolden State Warriors on Sunday night and has at least four swipes in seven of the last 15 games.
''He is really playing confidently, but he hasn't forgotten to predicate his game on the defense and on the boards,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''It kind of fuels him offensively. Our guys know how to give him his room. We are learning it better and better.''
Leonard missed 17 of 19 games from Dec. 10 to Jan. 14, and the defending champions struggled to find the groove that made them so devastating in last year's run to their fifth le. Leonard has given them their mojo back, giving them another staunch perimeter defender alongside Danny Green and pushed himself into the postseason award conversation.
Golden State's Draymond Green had been considered the front-runner for the award for much of the season, with the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan and the Grizzlies' Marc Gasol among the others getting consideration.
But the man known as ''The Claw'' for his huge hands - the one who won MVP honors in the NBA Finals last year - is staking a pretty strong claim as the season draws to a close.
''I was just trying to come out here and make it carry over to the playoffs,'' said Leonard, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. ''I'm trying to compete every game and help my team win.''
DG getting some recognition
I think Green I mean Daymond Green, basically lost the DPOY award on Sunday to Kawhi. There has been many articles noting that performance on Sunday and his play over the past month and a half. Writer's vote on this award and right now Kawhi seems to be the favorite amongst the press.
It's a media award, meaning a player not a coastal team has to be twice as good as anybody else to win it. Right now there are 2 strong West coast candidates (Green and Jordan) so I'm pretty sure one of them is going to win it. The other issue is that DPOY has turned into a pity trophy for roleplayers, and Kawhi isn't a roleplayer (just the same way Duncan never won it). Green and Jordan are definitely roleplayers whose ceiling is to win a DPOY some day: they are perfect for this award.
2 players actually deserve to be DPOY
Kwany and Rudy Gobert..
But Kwany must got it this year since he is part of the starting five since the beginning of the season.
Rudy is having stellar defense as well but he will not be part of this discussion this year.. (In the starting five since Kanter left to OKC...)
Imagine Kawhi ending the season with 2 Finals MVPs and a DPOY Trophy all before he turns 24.
And it would be all before his first All-Star game.
According to "The Starters" show on ESPN, Leonard will not make the DPOY candidate listing due to only playing 3/4 of a season.
What does listing mean? Does that mean he won't be on the media ballot? (If that's how it is done? Don't actually know the process. I just thought the media voters sent in their own list of names. I'm probably mistaken).
westbrook played almost the same amount but they dont have any trouble hyping him...
Yup, Spurs under the radar as always
Even if they snub Leonard and give the defensive POY award to someone else, it won't change the fact that Leonard is now the best defensive player in the NBA.
Excellent point.westbrook played almost the same amount but they dont have any trouble hyping him...
So what are Kawhi's defensive numbers? Can somebody provide?
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