Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced today in a press release.
Smart is the first guard to earn the honor since Gary Payton in the 1995/96 season. He’s also the second Celtic to win the award, joining Kevin Garnett (2007/08).
The 100 votes among sportswriters and broadcasters were spread out, reflecting that there was no clear-cut favorite for the award this season. Smart’s candidacy was aided by Boston’s strong finish and status as the league’s top-rated defensive unit. The team allowed the fewest points per game and lowest field-goal percentage.
Smart received 257 points overall and 37 first-place votes. Suns forward Mikal Bridges finished in second place with 202 points (22 first-place votes), while Jazz center and three-time DPOY Rudy Gobert was in third place with 136 points (12 first-place votes).
Overall, seven players received at least one first-place vote, including Bam Adebayo (13), Jaren Jackson Jr. (10), Giannis Antetokounmpo (5), and Robert Williams III (1). Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Draymond Green, and Matisse Thybulle also earned votes.
The full results can be viewed here.
Smart ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68) and tied for sixth in total steals (119). Smart, who signed a four-year, $77MM contract last offseason, ranked among the league leaders in several “hustle” categories, finishing tied for fourth in loose balls recovered (75) and tied for 10th in both deflections (206) and charges drawn (16).
Pretty much a toss up between Bridges and Smart, but gotta give the leader on the best defensive team the award… but if Draymond played a full season it would’ve easily been his
Well deserved and it’s nice to see a non center win this. Honestly though narrative combined with voter fatigue played a huge part as this award should come down to Giannis and Gobert every year.
Doesn’t deserve it since he has no consideration if a player gets hurt being over aggressive on a play. Bridges is a much better defender who does foul the other players.
“he has no consideration if a player gets hurt being over aggressive on a play.”
Good point. You know how it goes in the NBA, coaches are always telling their players “guys, don’t be too aggressive, someone might get hurt!”
Bridges is just the right amount of aggressive. His level of aggression is just perfect.
Idiotic post, pure hustle play by Smart. Thats hardnose basketball.
Nope it was over aggressive throwing your body at another players knees. It wasn’t once it has happened a few times throwing his body at players legs. Idiotic statement is saying it was hardnose play. Shows you do not know basketball but thug ball.
I watched the play a few times and was no intent to injure Curry, they were both going after the ball.
Steph Curry-He didn’t try to hurt me,There’s a certain way that he plays, that I don’t think many other people would have made the play that he did, but I don’t think it was malicious or dirty or trying to hurt me.”
Draymond Green-“I’d expect Marcus Smart to make that play. He plays hard, I can’t call that a dirty play, as unfortunate as it is. If it was a dirty play, I would have went and dove into his head.”
If Draymond Green said it wasn’t dirty it wasn’t dirty. If anyone knows a dirty play from personal experience having committed more than his fair share its Draymond Green
When he dove his back was turned to the play to take out the legs of his opponent. Wouldn’t you dive forward with your body not rolling your back to knock the other player down? Those are facts you don’t go back first.
Arc 2: agree with u.and for me, bridges is better defender.
I feel like if you were sent back in time to 90s basketball you would demand players get arrested for their play.
To be fair some deserved to be arrested, at times Lambier literally committed assault.
BAM was robbed.
Probably the missed time due to injury knocked him down a bit.
Suns need awards, man
Let this be a lesson to all you kids that if you flop on every play, hack everyone instead of defend them using actual skill like Jrue Holiday, and can’t guard big men, you too can win DPOY if you complain enough about it in the media!
Yeah, you sure have it all figured out.
Smart fooled everyone.
Except you.
Me and a number of other commenters here who outnumber you too
A well deserved honor by a guy who plays his heart out every game! BRAVO!!
ha! sarcasm at its best
I like Smart, but seriously? ……. DPOY for someone who flops most of the time – isn’t it sending the wrong signal of what an actual DPOY should be?
Bam can switch everything on the defensive end, guard and recover as quickly as needed. Not having him as a finalist was a travesty.
Not having Giannis was a bigger travesty. Players are scared of him. NO ONE is scared of Smart.
Yes, the term “scared” is what Giannis, also Gobert, brings on the half-court setup ……. opposing players tend to alter their shots anticipating the rim protection of a Gobert or Giannis.
But what Bam brings is something more “visual’, the HEAT can employ a swarming, trapping defense, then switch to a zone the next – Bam is at the heart of that defense, he can switch, cover/recover as fast and lengthy as anyone.
It was obviously the CELTICS resurgence during the 2nd half of the season which brought Smart to the limelight and the DPOY.
Injuried killed bam’s chance.
F* Well deserved!
All the comments who says “flops” or “over aggressive” clearly didn’t saw smart playing this year (or didn’t watch all games).
So in your mind, Draymond Green doesn’t flop or cheat or complain to the refs lol!
So are you admitting Smart flops and cheats. Sounds like it but your statement also shows you don’t watch NBA because Green doesn’t flop or cheat but he does complain too much.
Seriously? Dray is a good guy? He kicks nuts. This year he missed games.
Just search YouTube for Marcus Smart flops. The guys should be banned from ever getting this award. Flopping is a form of cheating.
Sorry Draymond ahahaha
A true big is always more impactful on the defensive end. Cause he rebounds and controls the paint. Teams are built around true bigs. Hence the term rim protector. It’s the soul of team D. So it’s hard for me to see a guard get it.
A true lockdown defender does deserve the attention. But few really deserve DPOY. Payton for sure. Smart is no Payton. He’s top 5. Imo Bridges was better.
Can’t really argue this one. Just shows that hard work pays in the end.
Randy Gobert…is crying somewhere…in his underwear…
I’m trying to remember… what happened the last time a Celtic won DPOY? Here comes number 18!
Sadly none of the 3 guys in the final deserved it, the award was easily won by Giannis, next up was Embiid, so that was one of the awards that don’t go to the right person this year, COY is gonna be another bad one were the 2 deserving coaches ain’t in the final 3, so, yeah Smart wasn’t the top defender!
I thought JJJ on the surging
Grizz
Deserved it
Led
League in block rate and in total blocks
Funny how only the team stat seemed to back up this choice of the award. Feels wrong like a participation trophy for effort for an adult pro athlete.
Both Horford and Tatum had a lower defensive rating than Smart. Embiid was a point behind Horford and Giannis was behind Tatum. Gobert was a full point lower than second place Horford. Gobert was 2 points better than 3rd place Embiid. The whole narrative garbage really makes these awards meaningless other than how it affects contracts.
The only positive is that they picked someone in the top ten. Number 10, to be exact. Lol
What they should do is separate the award into best defensive backcourt and another for the best defensive front court player. Then there’d be no need to do these dumb narrative awards.
That or have an additional award for every player who leads a category. Make it an official award with a trophy. Then players couldn’t argue who’s the best. The stats would speak for themselves.
Oh, what about the reaction next year if the Boston Celtics win this award again? By a different Celtic player? Hm, TimeLord does D like no one else. Go Celtics!
Executive of the Year? Celts Brad Stevens
You missed the point. Your own Horford deserved it more than Smart, if you go by actual stats and not feelings. Even Tatum had a better rating. Just commenting on how silly the media has become.
BTW, Gobert himself said he’s not worried about awards as much as when he was younger. He’s looking at the big picture. Although, I’m sure he would’ve liked to have won.