Reason No. 2: Most Defensive Player of the Year winners are big men
Dating back to 1996, when Gary Payton won Defensive Player of the Year, the vast majority of DPOY award winners have been big men. There have been just a few exceptions to this rule. Marcus Smart (2022), Kawhi Leonard (2015 and 2016), and Gary Payton (1996) are the anomaly in this big guys’ club. But overall, the ones who protect the paint and play the defensive anchor role are the ones who stand out the most for this award.
Recent winners like Jaren Jackson Jr. (2023), Rudy Gobert (2021, 2019, 2018), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2020) show that big guys still rule when it comes to defense.
These players remind us that having someone who can protect the basket and make life tough for the other team is super important. They’re all elite defenders, both in terms of on-ball defense and rim-protection/help defense.
In a game that’s always changing, the big men getting the Defensive Player of the Year award reminds us that some things stay constant. The big men who protect the paint are like the anchors of a team’s defense.
The game keeps evolving, with star guards like Stephen Curry stretching the floor even more so. However, as long as elite big defenders such as Anthony Davis are in the mix, the analytics go to show that they will consistently be the most important players on the defensive end.