Detroit Pistons: Midseason team awards for 2018-19
By Amaar Burton
Defensive Player of the Year: Andre Drummond
Shout-out to rookie Bruce Brown Jr. for stepping up into a defensive stopper role on the perimeter, and Stanley Johnson is still a solid defender for Detroit, but Andre Drummond is the clear pick for this award.
Drummond is leading all NBA centers in steals, which he’s done twice before, averaging 1.6 thefts per game through Thursday’s schedule. He is blocking 1.8 shots per game, close to a career-high.
A lot of people factor rebounding into the DPOY equation, and Drummond is of course leading the NBA in rebounding again (14.9 per game), including 9.7 defensive boards per game.
If you’re into advanced metrics, Drummond is by far Detroit’s most effective defender. He leads the team in Defensive Rating (102), Total Rebound Percentage (24.2), Block Percentage (4.5) and Defensive Win Shares (2.6).