So, the buzz is growing around Kevin Durant’s candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year. I wrote an in-depth analysis of Durant’s case, using narrative, advanced statistics and video study at BBallBreakdown. Here are some highlights from the piece plus a movie of Durant’s defense on Christmas.
This year’s DPOY candidate list is thin. Pre-season favorites Kawhi Leonard and Rudy Gobert have missed a lot of time due to injury, and Draymond Green has missed a little time and also been hampered by a shoulder issue.