Draymond Green Snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year

The NBA announced today that the 2014-15 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award was won by the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green was considered by many to be the favourite to win the title, but finished second in a close race.

Leonard received a total of 333 points, while Green was second with 317 points. Each first place vote is worth five points, the second-place vote three, and the third-place vote one.

According to the breakdown provided by the NBA, Green actually received more first-place votes than Leonard did – 45 to 37. However, in a odd series of events, Green only appeared in 87 ballots, while Kawhi made 103 ballots.

Ultimately, it was the discrepancy between the ballots that gave Leonard the close victory.

Looking at the results, it is safe to say that Green was snubbed for the award. With all due respect to Kawhi Leonard (who is an exceptional defender, perhaps even the best perimeter defender in the league), Draymond Green should have won the award. Kawhi played in 64 games this season – the least amount of games for a DPOY in a non-lockout shortened season.

Leonard sports the league’s best defensive rating at 96, but Green isn’t far behind with his 97. In a head-to-head battle, the two are very close. Both are exceptional defenders at their position, with Kawhi being a better defender against wings and guards, and Green a better defender against big men.

But when the differences between the two are so negligible, the award should be given to the one who has played more minutes and has had a bigger influence on the games.

The fact that Green was left out of 43 ballots (not even garnering a third-place vote) is laughable. Green has been one of the most consistent players this season, capably defending players of any size, speed, and talent level. To make matters worse, a look at the players that garnered votes over Green is truly blood-boiling. Players like LeBron James (three third-place votes), DeMarre Carroll, Patrick Beverley, Nerlens Noel, Chris Paul, and Hassan Whiteside were included in ballots that were without Green’s name.

Had Draymond Green won, he would have been the first Warrior to ever win the award. Instead, we are left wondering what could have been.

How is it possible that 45 voters regarded Green as the best defensive player in the league, only to have 42 other people completely disagree and not even consider him as top three? Perhaps Green has been so good throughout the season that people have forgotten about how well he plays on the defensive end, only to pick Kawhi Leonard and other players who have only flourished of late.

This is a farce. Giving media members the ability to change and dictate a player’s legacy is far too much power.

That said, I look forward to Draymond Green’s revenge-game later tonight.

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