As far as the DPOY award goes, it isn’t an award that a lot of fans pay attention to, as a lot of people generally enjoy watching the offensive end more. However, there is no doubt that defense is important. Defense is what wins championships: you need to be able to stop a player if they’re rolling, and good defenders are usually welcome on any roster.
In the last few seasons, the award has gone to solid rim protectors who can influence shots at a high level: Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gobert are all amazing defensive big men. However, there are guards whose defense stands out from the rest, and one of those players is Jrue Holiday. Recently, Holiday himself has stated that he thinks that he is the DPOY every year.
"I feel like I’m the Defensive Player of the Year every year."
– Jrue Holiday
(Via @ChrisBHaynes ) pic.twitter.com/nXQbuTUkmk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 12, 2021
Jrue Holiday is certainly one of the most respected defenders in the league, and many players have stated that he is one of their toughest matchups. The Milwaukee Bucks have gone under the radar this season, but part of their stellar defensive play has been Jrue Holiday’s ability to take perimeter players out of the game. Adding him has been a bonus on both ends, but sadly, he isn’t even in the running for the DPOY award.
It is often expected for a big man to win the DPOY award, and it is seldom that voters pick a perimeter player. However, when we talk about the best defenders in the league, there is no way that Jrue Holiday should be left out of those discussions.
