The Defensive Player of the Year award is one of the most prestigious honors in the NBA, but for one thing, it is often skewed in favor of big men. In fact, only eight perimeter players have ever won the DPOY award, with just two of them being point guards.
With big men holding a clear advantage in this category, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams has proposed a solution he believes would make the award more inclusive for all players. He suggests adding a separate DPOY award specifically for guards or perimeter defenders.
“I think there should be two Defensive Player of the Year… It would be like a big and a guard,” Williams said. “It’s just a big every year, and I feel like it’s just based on blocks. A guard’s never had to protect the paint, and a big had never had to chase a pin-down.”
“I think there should be two Defensive Player of the Year’s… it’s just a big every year” — Jalen Williams has got a lot to say about the current NBA rules…NEW YM3 DROPS TOMORROW! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/6BnkVyNZsv
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) January 14, 2025
Naturally, most scoring opportunities occur near the basket, and since big men are often positioned around it, they impact many of these chances. Additionally, defensive rebounding and blocks are easy to track in the box score, giving big men an edge in recognition.
However, perimeter defenders have always been crucial, and in today’s league, where players take more three-point shots and the talent level of perimeter players continues to rise, their value has only increased.
Changing the award would affect how its history is viewed, especially for past winners and those who missed out. But it would give perimeter defenders the recognition they often don’t get. It’s a not a simple topic, but who knows whether it’s time to rethink how we reward defense in today’s game.
