When the NBA announced the finalists for all six major end-of-season awards on Sunday night, most eyes fixated on one notable snub.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, who played at Kentucky during the 2016-17 season, was not named as one of the top three options for the NBA’s 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award. Instead, the finalists came in as Marcus Smart (Celtics), Rudy Gobert (Jazz; three-time winner), and Mikal Bridges (Suns). Smart was announced as the winner on Monday night, receiving 257 total points. Bridges was second with 202 points, Gobert third with 136, and Adebayo right behind in fourth at 128 points.