Why Marcus Smart deserved to win Defensive Player of the Year

For over two decades, the Defensive Player of the Year award has been dominated by big men and was usually awarded to the best rim defender. This season, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart broke the tradition and became the first guard since Gary Payton in 1996 to win the honor.

In fact, he is only the sixth guard overall and the second Celtics player after Kevin Garnett to win DPOY. Smart won the voting with 257 points (including 37 first-place votes) over Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

Why Marcus Smart deserved to win Defensive Player of the Year

This selection shows a much-needed move away from focusing on rim protection and that voters are finally recognizing the work smaller players do to stop fast-paced guards from moving into the paint.

Over his eight seasons in the league, Smart has built up a reputation as an elite defensive player. So far, he has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team twice and won the NBA Hustle Award in 2018-19 before being named this season’s DPOY.

There are several reasons for Smart’s success on the defensive end, including his flexibility. As a guard, Smart is mostly responsible for defending other point guards, where he shows off how quick he is on his feet and his ability to steal the ball without fouling.

He can also hold his own against big players in the paint, though, playing clean defense and drawing many charges. According to NBA statistics, Smart actually ranked 10th in charges drawn, with 16.

Furthermore, Smart is always alert on the help side, making fast and clever decisions, while proving over and over again how well he can sense where the ball will go. This results in many steals for Smart, who also is not afraid to be physical and hit the floor to grab the ball before anyone else does.

With 75 loose balls recovered this season, he ranked fourth overall in this category. His willingness to hit the floor for the ball is also reflected in Smart’s offensive numbers, as he averages around six assists per game, many of which are direct results of steals or recovered balls.

“I’m always trying to turn defensive plays like these into transition opportunities as quick as I can,” said Smart while discussing a clip of him stealing the ball from Kevin Durant in the first playoff game with Boston Globe journalist Adam Himmelsbach. This mentality is one of the many reasons for the Celtics’ successful season.

Led by Smart, the Celtics have the best defense in the league, holding opponents to the lowest field goal percentage and the lowest three-point field goal percentage, as reported on NBA.com.

Kyle Irving from The Sporting News rightfully claimed that “Smart was the heartbeat and engine of Boston’s success” on the defensive end. He also added, “Smart embodies everything it means to be an elite defender in today’s NBA.”

I agree with that and, as someone who plays the same position, it is refreshing to see people gush about a guard’s defense for once. Opinions on who should have won Defensive Player of the Year this season are divided, though.

In addition to his many supporters, Smart also has many doubters out there who believe another player might have been a better fit to win the award. Tom Haberstroh from Meadowlark Media, for example, accused voters of being lazy and simply picking “the most actively and visually defensive player” on the team with the best defense.

I, for one, believe that numbers aren’t everything and Smart earned the award with his impressive perimeter defense and ability to get the ball from just about anyone. The award does not only recognize his work this season, but the effort he put into his defense throughout his whole career.

Smart plays with unmatched energy on the defensive end that is an inspiration to many young guards out there. Those whose defensive work often does not gain the same recognition as that of tall rim defenders.