Jalen Williams went on The Young Man and The Three podcast and made a statement that somewhere deep down all of us have thought about. Why do the bigs always win the DPOY? Sure, Marcus Smart won it a few years ago. Gary Payton almost two decades ago. The point is that only 5 guards have won a Defensive Player of the Year award in the 78-year history of the NBA. It’s baffling considering the elite defense we have witnessed from basketball’s small-sized defensive monstrosities.
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The question still remains, though. Should the NBA create a separate DPOY award for guards? Williams feels it is needed. Jaylen Brown feels the same. Williams on the podcast spoke of the chokehold big men have on the award. He brought up Herb Jones to further his argument.
Williams: “I can be a really good defender without averaging the most steals. Like Herb Jones is not like first in steals. But if you ask everybody around the NBA, who one of the best defenders in the league is,he’s going to be in the top-five conversation“
Brown, responding to Jalen’s comment, wrote “Agreed” on x. It shows many in the league do believe defensive guards are undermined and, to an extent, always considered after big men. However, to properly evaluate the need for this change, we first must understand what ‘good defense’ is and whether it can be distinctly separated into two categories.
Good Defense Disrupts Good Offense
At the core of it, the purpose of defending is to disrupt the offense. This can be done in various ways. Shot blocking, by all means, is the last resort. The opportunity to swat an attempt only comes up when the scorer has passed through the layers of checks put up by a team.
Consider Herb Jones’ style, for example. He averaged 0.8 blocks and 1.4 steals last season. These aren’t impressive numbers even among guards. And still, he made the Defensive first team last season.
His ability to slip through screens, multiple screens even, block driving lanes, draw charges, and remain on the scorer’s hip constantly even in transitions is stunning. Most offensive strategies rely on seeking a weak matchup, Jones ensures that doesn’t happen. On top of that, he has elite footwork, quick hands, and great recovery.
Alex Caruso and Jrue Holiday are the same but with their own different tweaks. While Caruso is a lot better than both Jones and Holiday at deflections and steals, Holiday’s defensive positioning and reading are far better.
Simply put, to be considered among elite defenders, a player needs to have multiple means to disrupt the offense. Being a brilliant shotblocker isn’t enough to win the award. There have been many in history who led the league in blocks made but failed to win the award. So, when Victor Wembanyama is touted as the best defender in the league, it is not his shot-blocking that puts him up there, it is, again, his ability to disrupt the offense.
Wembanyama is skilled at forcing players to chuck tough shots or pass the ball. He also has great recovery and footwork. And his sheer size allows him to overcome most pick-and-roll offenses.
The methods to evaluate a good defender do not seem so different but why then are the big men taking most of them home? Because the scoring, historically, has been paint-focused giving center and power forwards a clear advantage over their smaller counterparts.
The Nature of Offense sets the tone for what constitutes great defense
In the past, defensive effort was concentrated inside the three-point line. In the 90s and early 2000s, the floors weren’t stretched. The mid-range and the paint were significantly preferred over distant scoring.
The 96-97 title-winning Bulls attempted 17.1 threes per game, the 23-24 Celtics on the other hand attempted 42.5 threes per game. That’s nearly a 250% increase in attempts. Naturally, it also shows how the defense has had to adapt over the years.
Today’s era is of pace and space and distant shooting. The advantage big men had on interior defense, though not faded, is now as important as the defensive capabilities of smaller players on the parameter.
So, Williams’ statement and Brown’s agreement do not come from a place of ignorance but rather a need to acknowledge the change. Rim protection is still an absolutely necessary asset, it’s not the only check a team needs. This is the reason the Spurs, despite leading the league in blocks, have the 12th-best defensive rating. The Oklahoma City Thunder, even after averaging 0.9 blocks less than San Antonio, lead the league in defensive rating.
Verdict: Two DPOYs needed
The league needs to address the shift in the definition of a good defender. Guards finding a spot in the All-Defensive teams is only a consolation and not enough. Their efforts should be recognized and awarded and a separate DPOY award, to Williams’ credit, is the logical way to go.
