Josh Leading DPOY Candidate?

[Johnnybravo4]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDIWcO8L6Rg...related&search=

Here's a clip from NBA TV. I never saw this one before but it goes through top defensive player candidates. Josh is listed as #1.

Maybe Josh is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

[thesheedera]

Stupid clips, don't show any defensive plays!!!!

[Johnnybravo4]

Yeah that was pretty dumb wasn't it.

[thesheedera]

Kind of bizarre.

I'm not sure if he deserves it or not, but I think he definitely deserevs to be in the discussion, and I'm extremely happy for him and the Hawks that he'll be in the discussion.

[Packfill]

I honestly do not think Josh Smith is a great defensive player. He is a great shotblocker but nothing else. He has potential but until he becomes a quality positional defender he does not deserve consideration for DPOY.

[Johnnybravo4]

He also avg 1.5 steals per game. I think he does a good job defending PF's who outweigh him by about 20 lbs. Plus help defense, is defense. I can't recall any player who avg 2.9bpg and is second in the league in BPG and overall blocks who was considered not a good defender.

[Packfill]

Quote:

---

He also avg 1.5 steals per game. I think he does a good job defending PF's who outweigh him by about 20 lbs. Plus help defense, is defense. I can't recall any player who avg 2.9bpg and is second in the league in BPG and overall blocks who was considered not a good defender.

---

Well, personally I did not consider Theo Ratliff a good overall defender. I think he was DPOY once but he was the product of a good system and the overemphasis on block shots.

Don't get me wrong, Smoove has potential to be a great defender, but I don't think he is anywhere close to realizing his potential in that area.

[uga2006]

Quote:

---

He also avg 1.5 steals per game. I think he does a good job defending PF's who outweigh him by about 20 lbs. Plus help defense, is defense. I can't recall any player who avg 2.9bpg and is second in the league in BPG and overall blocks who was considered not a good defender.

---

I'm saying. I mean the cat is 21 y.o. and putting these numbers up is insane. People will always hate even if the Hawks had MJ some would stilltry to find weaknesses and only talk about what he can't do instead of what he can do.

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

---

...Well, personally I did not consider Theo Ratliff a good overall defender. I think he was DPOY once but he was the product of a good system and the overemphasis on block shots.

Don't get me wrong, Smoove has potential to be a great defender, but I don't think he is anywhere close to realizing his potential in that area.

---

I certainly see your point EDS...but truth is the DPOY award often goes to the glamorous shotblocker over the blue collar positional defender. Just the way it has been.

So, even if JS doesn't quite deserve it - but gets it - I'll be happy for him.

[Popeye]

Quote:

---

So, even if JS doesn't quite deserve it - but gets it - I'll be happy for him.

---

same here

[AtLaS]

Quote:

---

I honestly do not think Josh Smith is a great defensive player. He is a great shotblocker but nothing else.

---

Watch past DPOY's, you will see them get scored on at will at times also. The facts are that Smith is a game changing defender, and some games he completely takes over defensively.

Even Artest/Kirilenko get murked sometimes..

[Johnnybravo4]

If you are watching the Portland game there is no way you can't consider him a DPOTY candidate