It's been quite some time since a guard was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Last one to receive the award was Gary Payton in 1996. The five other guards who've received the honor were selected before 1990. When you consider those factors, it's no wonder Marcus Smart had a lot to say when asked about the idea of him being named DPOY this season.
"I don't see why it's so hard for a guard to win it," Smart said after a five-steal showing as part of Boston's 114-103 win against Detroit. "We talk about what bigs do — and I'm not taking anything from bigs — but we got to first understand that in order for the guy to get to the big, you got to get by us guards first. And most of the time, we (are) making it so tough that by the time he gets to (the bigs), all they got to do is send it the other way. We're doing the majority of the hard work, but for us to not be even talked about in the discussion, let alone win it, that's some bs. We all know it — it's a popularity contest.
"You got me and Rob (Williams). We're not even in the discussion for it on the best defensive team in the league. I think that says enough — I'm not too stressed about it, like I said. I don't play the game for the individual accolades. I play the game to win games. That's my job. Whatever comes with it, I'm blessed to have. … But it does suck for us guards who: you grind, you sacrifice your body, you're the one diving for the loose balls, you're the one taking the charges, you're the one taking the bumps and bruises and sending it to the big man and making sure, as an individual, you do everything can before he gets to that back line of defense."
While this may be the first time some are hearing the complaint about guards not getting enough credit on the defensive end, Smart is not the only one who's expressed this sentiment. And the comments don't only come from guards. (The example that comes to mind is Kevin Durant a few years back discussing the lack of recognition Jrue Holiday receives.)
Regardless of how things shake down at DPOY, at least one of Williams or Smart needs to be named to an NBA All-Defensive Team, at minimum. If Boston keeps up this current level of play, there's no reason both can't get a nod; especially since the pair have individual stats to go with the team's defensive success.
Williams entered Friday's action averaging a league-high 2.2 blocks per game — tied with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Rudy Gobert (who had five apiece on Friday as opposed to Time Lord's one) — and he has the best defensive rating in the NBA. Smart, a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, entered Friday averaging the fifth-most steal per game.
And as much as intangibles don't tend to help when making a case to award voters, Williams leaned on one to help Smart's cause — a good one, at that.
"A lot of my defensive grit and my will to fight out there I get from just watching him," Williams said. "Even in practice, him being vocal, him on the court, he's a great defensive anchor first, but he's a better leader. … He's always talking, putting guys where they need to be. So just me, I feel like Smart should be the No. 1 runner for that."
