A player spends half the game playing defense so, in theory, it would make sense that their prowess on the defensive end should count just as much as offense when it comes to evaluating a player’s career.
However, when the honors are handed out, the players who put the ball in the hoop the most usually get the accolades more than the ones who can stop them.
For example, the last three players named NBA Most Valuable Player, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry are not known for being incredible on defense. Scoring lots of points, a big, yes.