21 players the NBA repeatedly snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year

Snubbed Defensive Player #10: Danny Green

After being cut three times by the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, Danny Green finally managed to carve out a role with the Spurs. He did so by playing defense and knocking down open threes. While players such as Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan get credit for helping revitalize the Spurs’ defense and getting them back into title contention, Green was equally as important.

Playing alongside Leonard, the two formed “Wingstop” with Green often tasked with defending opposing point guards or shooting guards while Leonard took on bigger wings. Green’s length and size proved bothersome, and he often put the clamps on top-tier guards, helping the Spurs outlast their opponents.

Coach Gregg Popovich famously switched Green onto Steph Curry during the 2013 Western Conference semifinals after he had two sizzling performances. Green immediately slowed him down, helping take away those pull-up threes. That defensive performance wasn’t an outlier, however; in the NBA Finals that year, he toggled between guard Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.

He did an impressive job, helping give the Spurs a chance to pull off an upset. Green routinely prevented guards and even wings from going off against the Spurs. He even proved to be an effective rim protector, ranking 8th all-time in blocks by a guard.

Unfortunately for him, his defensive mastery was simply overshadowed by Leonard and Duncan, and he was never seriously considered for the DPOY award. On a positive note, Green would go on to win two more championships with the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers while providing that same caliber of defense.