Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is likely one of the greatest gamers within the NBA. On account of his identify getting talked about so usually within the MVP discussions, it additionally leaves his identify out of different discussions, however solely as a result of they aren’t as urgent.
Amongst all of the accolades the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder star will corral this yr, one which hasn’t come up has been the opportunity of successful the NBA’s Defensive Participant of the Yr. Amongst those that suppose he can win it’s Thunder alum Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins Explains Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Case
On ESPN’s NBA Right this moment, Perkins made it clear that he needs to know why Gilgeous-Alexander, who may win the league’s MVP trophy this season, isn’t a candidate for the DPOY award.
“Let’s go to the opposite aspect of the ground for (Gilgeous-Alexander). Why isn’t he within the Defensive Participant of the Yr dialog?” Perkins requested.
He then defined why he believes the Thunder star has a case to win Defensive Participant of the Yr.
“He’s top-20 for opponents subject objective proportion, and his place on the guard, for blocked pictures, he’s top-five. He’s quantity two in steals. Their crew leads each class defensively. They’re primary. Why is he not in that dialog? We at all times lean in in direction of the bigs, who’s blocking pictures, and who’s rim defending. SGA is doing his rattling factor.”
“Why is not SGA within the defensive participant of the yr dialog?”
– Kendrick Perkins
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 19, 2025
Stacked In opposition to Gilgeous-Alexander?
The NBA usually awards Defensive Participant of the Yr to massive males as a result of they cowl extra floor than the smaller gamers do. Facilities and energy forwards often win the award. Small forwards have received it previously, however they’re usually larger than the prototypical small ahead, like Kawhi Leonard.
The final time a guard received the award was Marcus Good in 2022. Nonetheless, he was the primary guard to win it since Gary Payton received it with the then-Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.
Gilgeous-Alexander is taller than Good, and never a soul believes he’s a nasty defender. He’s wonderful at what he does. What hurts his case is just not even that he’s not categorized as an enormous man, however he’s additionally surrounded by wonderful defenders throughout the board.
Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso are all thought of wonderful defenders. A few of them are even thought of the very best within the NBA. That’s not to remove from the Thunder’s different defenders or Gilgeous-Alexander. If something, it exhibits how impenetrable their protection is.
Perkins has some extent that Gilgeous-Alexander’s protection deserves extra recognition. Pushing for him to win Defensive Participant of the Yr may be a stretch, nevertheless it’s not ridiculous for the MVP candidate to a minimum of be within the dialog.
