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

Snubbed Defensive Player #3: Scottie Pippen

Of the 20 players on this list, Scottie Pippen is likely the most surprising inclusion. After all, Pippen was the Kawhi Leonard of the 1990s and likely a better defender than the two-time DPOY. Even then, Pippen was overlooked for the award 17 times, even during his best defensive season.

Pippen’s best defensive year came during the 1994-95 season, when he led the league in steals, averaging an eye-popping 2.9 per game, as well as 1.1 blocks. If that weren’t enough, Pippen led the league in defensive rating and was tied for first in defensive win shares with Robinson.

99% of the time, that would make someone a no-brainer pick to win Defensive Player of the Year, but there was incredibly stiff competition. Mutombo led the NBA in blocks, averaging nearly 4 per game, while two other DPOY winners, Robinson and Olajuwon, also had monster defensive seasons.

It simply wasn’t in the cards for Pippen, who had to settle for making the Defensive First Team for the second time in four straight seasons. Now, Pippen is generally regarded as one of the greatest perimeter defenders ever. However, he failed to win the award in part because he was teammates with another all-time defender in Michael Jordan, and played in an era with several dominant shot blockers.