Anthony Davis is an elite defender. Everyone can agree upon that. It is also easy to take that statement one step further and say that Davis is one of the best defenders that the NBA has ever seen. There may be a few people who have added reservations about making that statement, but the numbers do not lie.
Davis averages an impressive 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game through his 13-year career in the NBA. During that time, the nine-time All-Star has also collected five All-Defensive team selections and has led the league in blocks on three occasions.
The five-time All-NBA selection has a long list of accolades to his name. Davis' resume is so decorated that a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is already locked up. 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts will one day induct the dominant big man into their storied chambers.
Davis' failed pursuit of the Defensive Player of the Year trophy
Despite all of this, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy has never found its way into the grasps of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. The closest Davis ever came was a runner-up in the 2019-20 NBA season. One would imagine the soon-to-be NBA champion at the time was more than happy to settle for a championship ring.
However, a sit-down interview with Shams Charania of ESPN revealed that Davis remains disappointed about missing out on the major accolade to this day.
"I'm very shocked [I don't have one]. I feel like, and Dame [Damian Lillard] actually said this before, not about me, but just with him as well, that the goalpost moves every time he's up for something.Anthony Davis
When I first got in the league, Defensive Player of the Year was awarded to a big that blocked shots, who led the league in blocks. I'd done that three times early on in my career, and it didn't come to me, right?
We have guys who are winning this award. That's all they do is block ... and they're not good at pick-and-roll, and not good on one-on-one defense. You look at me, I guard one through five. ... I know it also has a lot to do with the team defense as well, right, which confuses me as well, though, because it's an individual award.
So, I don't know. I'm pissed I don't have one for sure, because I know how much I'm putting into the defensive end, but now, it's whatever. It doesn't, it's too much stress for me to be thinking about that."
To Davis' biggest point, the nature of the selection process can certainly lead to a changing of the requirements at random, almost whimsical instances. This applies to several major awards, not just the Defensive Player of the Year.
Davis' likely fate will be joining other all-time greats like Tim Duncan and Scottie Pippen as some of the best names on the that side of the basketball court to never add a Defensive Player of the Year trophy to their cabinet.