Davis, a three-time block champion and four-time All-Defensive selection, possesses a unique combination of length (6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan), athleticism, and instincts. He can therefore defend in space better than many large men, yet he still makes a formidable rim defender.
He is a capable defensive player, but he has never taken home the Defensive Player of the Year title. Since 2019–20, he hasn’t even received a nomination for the honor. Davis, an NBA veteran of twelve years, has placed five times in the top ten in the Defensive Player of the Year vote. Only two of those seasons—2017–18 and 2019–20—saw Davis make it to the finals for the prize.The NBA revealed the 2023–24 Defensive Player of the Year Award contenders on Monday. While Davis was left off the list, centers Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat were.
To be honest, Gobert and Wembanyama were always going to be on the short list of finalists. In 2023–24, Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, led the league’s best defense. As a rookie, Wembanyama topped the league in blocks per contest. The eyebrow-raiser was the addition of Adebayo. Nevertheless, he shares many of Davis’s skills, and the Heat boasted a top-five defense.
“They’re not giving it to me,” he says, sounding obviously agitated. “The league is not fond of me. I am the league’s top defensive player. I’m able to swap 1 through 5. From a wide angle, protect the pick-and-roll the best in the NBA. I deflect shots and get back up.
