Three-time champion shuts down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DPOY talk with epic troll “Guarding the weakest defender”

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander currently is third in steals, which should net some DPOY votes.

Three-time champion shuts down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander DPOY talk with epic troll “Guarding the weakest defender”

Udonis Haslem does not believe Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is DPOY favorite

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a season to remember. Starring for the West leading Oklahoma City Thunder, he is one of the frontrunners to win the MVP. But along with his scoring, his defense has also become a talking point.

As an MVP frontrunner, the 26-year-old is having a stellar year, and his performances have many sliding to his side. They believe he is responsible for uplifting the young Thunder squad. At the same time, many believe he is not getting his due credit on defense.

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As of today, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is third in the league in steals per game. Kendrick Perkins lobbied that the statistic is great on its own even before one looks at how the Thunder are at the top when it comes to collective defense.

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That has him believing SGA is one of the names that should be in consideration to with the Defensive Player of the Year award. If he wins, he will be the first since Giannis Antetokounmpo to win both DPOY as well as the league MVP in the same season. But then Udonis Haslem interrupted the debate.

He’s got the weakest offensive player on the other team. We all know what people do with superstars. They hide their superstars. He’s probably guarding the guy that is gonna get five shots. He can play off the ball, he can shoot the passing lane and get a steal.

Udonis Haslem said

The three-time NBA Champion clarified that team leading superstars are not tasked to defend the opposition’s best scorer. Instead, they are asked to guard the weakest scoring opponent. This means, when his teammates defend at a high level, it opens possibilities for SGA to pounce on steals.

DPOY discourse heating up after Draymond Green’s claim

This discussion about the Defensive Player of the Year has come about after Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green threw his hat into the ring. His performance in their previous game proved that defense was more than just the numbers.

He talked about how voters have denied him and other elite defenders a chance to win the award as they look solely at the statistics. He has been vocal in the past on how Rudy Gobert was not a worthy winner of the DPOY.

Green believes if one leaves out the statistics, the Frenchman is an average defender. That explains why the opposition’s best players choose to go after him. The Warriors star also believes one should look at how a player impacts his opponents.

That is why he fiercely lobbied for Victor Wembanyama to win the DPOY last season. This season, the French phenom was a lock on to win the award, but his season-ending injury shelved those ideas. His absence has opened the doors for others to join the race.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slipping in MVP race

The cries for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to enter the DPOY are just starting. On the other hand, his name was constantly in the rounds for the league MVP. Up until the week before last, SGA was the clear leader and everyone had him winning the award this season.

But the last Kia MVP Ladder released on March 15th paint a different picture. Nikola Jokic has overtaken the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar after some stellar outings. Some believe The Joker has a bigger impact on his team than SGA.

For instance, without SGA, the Thunder still win games and stay competitive. But without the Serbian manning their game, the Denver Nuggets usually struggle. That has helped tip the scales. However, there are still nearly four weeks left. In that time, the tide can tilt again, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might win MVP.