It’s worth remembering that five of the first six DPOY awards, and seven of the first nine, went to guards or wings. And only the ninth of what would be 24 winners (across 40 years) who didn’t play primarily in or near the paint. If enough voters agree, Bridges will become the smallest player (6-foot-6, 209 pounds) to be named DPOY since Seattle guard Gary Payton (6-foot-4, 180) 26 years ago. He does it with agility, he does it with effort, he does it with wingspan and he does it better than any of his defensive-minded peers for the 2021-22 season. 1 record, Bridges is the guy assigned – not just matched up by position – to guard the other teams’ most prolific scorers. The Phoenix Suns’ 25-year-old forward established himself in his fourth NBA season as the league’s peskiest bird of prey. In the first of what will be several days of NBA Awards ballot reveals, here is a look at the votes and rationale for Kia Defensive Player of the Year, as one voter sees it, plus picks for All-Defensive First and Second Team: 1. The Suns’ lockdown defender finishes the season on top of the Defensive Player Ladder.
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