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

Snubbed Defensive Player #20: LeBron James

Ever since entering the NBA, LeBron James has been a do-it-all type of player, though it did take time for his defense to come around. By the end of his first Cleveland Cavalier run, James was a good defender, but it wasn’t until he joined the Miami Heat that he became a great one.

Once the Heat moved to a small-ball lineup that featured Chris Bosh at center, the team began employing an aggressive blitzing defense that would often trap the ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations. That forced the playmaker to quickly give up the ball, putting pressure on the screener to make a quick-second play or lose the offensive advantage and waste seconds on the shot clock. It worked like a charm, and the Heat were able to force turnovers and get out in transition, thanks in large part to James.

The Heat often played lineups that featured positional size, which allowed them to switch and meant that James would occasionally find himself defending point guards like Tony Parker and big men like Tim Duncan or Pau Gasol. His length, size, and mobility made it difficult for guards to gain separation, while his strength made him hard to bully on the low block.

In addition to occasionally guarding on the block, James was also able to help protect the basket by providing weakside help and chasing down opponents in transition (i.e., Andre Iguodala).

Fortunately, while James never received a DPOY, he was rewarded with back-to-back league MVPs as well as back-to-back Finals MVPs during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons when Miami’s defense was at its best.

Still, James’ defensive versatility at his peak helped usher in a new era of NBA basketball that relied less on height and more on length and athleticism.