Preface:
Although today's league has entered the era of small balls, rules and blowing penalties are also advocating the offensive nature of players. But defense is still the basic guarantee that all teams want to achieve results, especially in the playoffs, the overall defensive intensity directly increased by a notch. The Warriors were able to win last season's championship, and in addition to Curry's offensive end, the Warriors' defense played a crucial role, especially Wiggins' almost complete single-player defense for Tatum.
It can be said that whether it is as big as a team or as small as a player, defense is the most basic requirement. And the best defensive squad every year is the best praise for players who have made great contributions to the defensive end. Throughout the history of the NBA, there is such a player, he became the first player in history to be selected for the best defensive team 15 times, and the number of times he entered the best team was as high as 8 times, but he did not even win one of the best defensive players, this person is one of the greatest playing forwards in the NBA, Duncan.
So how did Duncan's season stats perform eight times without a band of DPOY, and who was the opponent he lost? Let's take a look!
1998-99 season
All-in-one team: Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Peyton, Carl Malone, Scotty Pipone
DPOY winner: Alonzo Monin
After dying in the Western Conference semifinals due to injury in his first season of his career, Duncan made a comeback the following year. He showed his ability to attack and defend at both ends, becoming the only player in a single season to be in the league's top ten in four statistics: points, rebounds, blocks and shooting percentage. This efficient performance allowed Duncan to be named the best defensive team for the first time in his career, and eventually that season, his combination with Robinson helped the Spurs win the first championship trophy in team history.
In defensive stats, he averaged 8.2 rebounds per game (4th in the league), 0.9 steals (98th in the league) and 2.5 blocks per game (7th in the league). Backcourt rebounds and blocks are able to make it into the league's top ten, which shows Duncan's excellent performance on the defensive end.
In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 22.2% (36th in the league) and the defensive end was 1.8 (38th in the league). These two statistics Duncan was completely unable to show any advantages, and all ranked relatively low in the league. However, at that time, Duncan was only a second-year player, and it was very rare to have such a defensive performance.
The player who won the DPOY that year was the NBA's famous tough guy representative, Mo Ning. In this shrinking season, with Morning's performance at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, the Heat successfully achieved a record of 33 wins and 17 losses in the regular season, and finally won the first place in the regular season East, but unfortunately, the team lost 2-3 to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs and suffered a round of travel.
In terms of basic defensive statistics, Mourning averaged 7.4 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 3.9 blocks per game, ranking first in the league.
In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 22.0% (41st in the league) and the defensive end was 2.2 (26th in the league).
A comparison of data can show that the only place where Mourning leads Duncan is in the block, and other basic and high-level data are Duncan's performance is better. And Duncan's loss of this year's DPOY is most likely compared to Mo Ning, he is still only a fledgling sophomore player, in terms of seniority and thickness is still not as good as Mo Ning, who has been playing for many years.
1999-00 season
Best First Team: Kobe, Duncan, Garnett, Mourning, Payton
DPOY winner: Alonzo Monin
The following season, Duncan continued to perform very well, and he was once again selected as the best defensive team. Unfortunately, in the final part of the regular season, he was reimbursed for the season due to a torn meniscus, and the Spurs failed to fulfill their desire to defend their title. However, in the offseason, the Spurs decisively completed an early contract extension with Duncan.
This season, Duncan averaged 8.9 backcourt rebounds (4th in the league), 0.9 steals and 2.2 blocks per game (6th in the league). It can be said that the performance on the defensive end is still very good, if it were not for the absence of 8 games due to injury, his data may still have some room to rise.
In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 24.8% (20th in the league) and the defensive end was 1.8 (31st in the league). These two statistics are also a very good improvement compared to the previous season.
This year, Duncan lost to the player who was Mourning, and this year the Heat won 52-30, ranking second in the East. However, this time the team fell in front of the Knicks in the playoffs and was out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 3-4.
This year, Mourning averaged 6.8 backcourt rebounds, 0.5 steals and 3.7 blocks per game, and the block data was the first in the league. In terms of high-level stats, he has a rebounding rate of 21.6% in the backcourt (42nd in the league) and a positive or negative value of 2.2 in the defensive end (14th in the league). Similar to the previous season, Mourning has done better than Duncan in terms of blocks and plus-minus.
One of the reasons Duncan lost that year was that he was not able to play a full season, with the season reimbursed in the final stages. The second is that the Moning Lianzhuang DPOY is very topical.
2000-01 season
All-in-one line-up: Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, Mutombo, Payton
DPOY winner: Mutombo
Duncan, who returned from injury, managed to enter the defensive team for the third consecutive year, but the league was already in the world of OK combinations, so that season the Spurs finally suffered a 4-0 sweep by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
In terms of defensive statistics, Duncan averaged 9.0 backcourt rebounds per game (3rd in the league), 0.9 steals, 2.3 blocks (9th in the league), and Duncan's defense is still very solid.
In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 25.1% (18th in the league) and the defensive end was 1.8 (25th in the league).
The best defensive player of the year went to Uncle Mu, who we all know well, who witnessed the Eagles' decline and was traded to the 76ers in the middle of the season, but it didn't disrupt his personal defensive rhythm at all.
This year, his defensive stats showed 9.4 backcourt rebounds (first in the league), 0.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks (5th in the league). In terms of high-end statistics, Uncle Mu has a rebounding rate of 30.5% in the backcourt (fifth in the league) and a defensive positive or negative value of 1.3.
In comparison, Uncle Mu's overall data in rebounding is a big notch, while Duncan is leading in other aspects. The factor that has a high probability of losing this year is that Duncan has performed very evenly in all defensive values, and none of them are particularly prominent.
2001-02 season
Best defensive first lineup: Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, Payton, Wallace
DPOY Winner: Ben Wallace
This year, Duncan entered the defensive team without suspense, and he also successfully won the MVP trophy. Unfortunately, when it comes to the playoffs, the Lakers are still a threshold they can't cross. The Spurs eventually lost 1-4 to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals and were eliminated by their opponents for two consecutive seasons.
This season, Duncan had 9.4 rebounds (first in the league), 0.7 steals and 2.5 blocks (3rd in the league). This time, Duncan finally has a statistic that has successfully reached the first place in the league.
In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 25.9% (14th in the league) and the defensive end was 2.2 (15th in the league). In terms of high-end data, Duncan is also steadily improving every year, and this time both have successfully ranked among the top twenty in the league.
The year that won Duncan was Ben Wallace, and the Pistons at this time, although they had not yet ushered in the full body of the Five Tigers, had begun to make their mark in the East, and they also fell to the semifinals this season, 1-4 blocked by the Celtics.
In terms of basic statistics, Wallace averaged 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 3.5 blocks per game. The rebounding rate for high-end data is 21.0%.
It can be said that compared to this set of data, Duncan lost on the two data of blocks and steals. And he didn't get the best defensive player in the end, probably because Duncan got enough honors that year that he didn't give him the award.
2002-03 season
All-in-one lineup: Kobe, Christie, Duncan, Garnett, Ben Wallace
DPOY Winner: Ben Wallace
This year's Spurs have officially completed the handover, and Duncan has become the sole leader of the team. This season, he has still been very solid and has successfully achieved a second MVP win. The Spurs also finally reached the stage of the Finals again, and successfully defeated the Nets to win the final championship, and Duncan was also crowned FMVP again.
Duncan had 9.7 rebounds (third in the league), 0.7 steals and 2.9 blocks (third in the league) this season. In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 27.3% (6th in the league) and the defensive end was 2.5 (18th in the league). It can be said that Duncan's performance and data on the defensive end have always been very solid, especially rebounds and blocks, and he has never fallen out of the league's top ten.
This year Wallace achieved a run for the best defensive player, and the Pistons further improved their performance in the playoffs, and they successfully reached the Eastern Conference Finals and finally suffered a 4-0 sweep by the Nets.
In terms of statistics, the backcourt rebounds averaged 11.4 (first in the league), 1.4 steals, and 3.2 blocks. In terms of high-end data, the rebounding efficiency is 34.9%, and the defensive end is 7.9. It can be said that this year in terms of data, Wallace did completely surpass Duncan, many data leads are very much, and it is reasonable for Duncan to lose the competition.
2004-05 season
Best defensive first lineup: Bowen, Duncan, Garnett, Larry Hughes, Ben Wallace
DPOY Winner: Ben Wallace
After a year of adjustments, Duncan once again managed to enter the defensive team, the team once again reached the stage of the finals, in this round of defensive hand-to-hand fighting, the Spurs became the team that laughed to the end, they beat the Pistons 4-3, and lifted the championship trophy for the third time.
Duncan had 8.0 backcourt rebounds (7th in the league), 0.7 steals and 2.6 blocks (second in the league) that year. In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 28.2% (6th in the league) and the defensive end was 2.8 (10th in the league).
The same year beat Duncan was still Wallace, who contributed 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.4 blocks. In terms of high-end data, the defensive rebounding rate is 26.5%, and the defensive positive and negative values are 6.7. The two men can be said to be almost equal in terms of statistics this time, but Wallace has shown that his overall defensive performance looks better than Duncan because all the energy in the game is poured into defense.
2006-07 season
Best defensive lineup: Raja Bale, Bowen, Kobe, Bryant, Kirby, Duncan
DPOY winner: Marcus Camby
This time Duncan entered the defensive team after a year, and the Spurs successfully reached the Finals this year, facing the young James, Duncan said that famous sentence, and then led the Spurs to directly sweep the opponent 4-0, and once again won the championship trophy.
Duncan's overall numbers slipped during the year, with 7.9 rebounds in the backcourt (7th in the league), 0.8 steals and 2.4 blocks (fifth in the league). In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 27.0% (14th in the league) and the defensive end was 3.2 (4th in the league).
The best defensive player of the year went down to Canby, who has played very well defensively this season. He averaged 9.3 backcourt rebounds, 1.2 steals and 3.3 Gaiao (league first) per game. In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt is 30.5% (5th in the league) and the defensive end is 3.9 (1st in the league).
The data gap this year can be said to be clear at a glance, from the basic data to the advanced data, it is Canby who has performed better than Duncan, and he deserves to win this award.
2007-08 season
Best First Team: Bovin, Kobe, Camby, Duncan, Garnett
DPOY winner: Kevin Garnett
This season, Duncan averaged 8.3 rebounds per game (3rd in the league), 0.7 steals and 1.9 blocks (6th in the league). In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt is 28.3% (8rd in the league) and the defensive end is 2.2 (23rd in the league).
The best defensive player of the season is Garnett, who has also been a runner for many years. He averaged 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In terms of high-end stats, the rebounding rate in the backcourt was 25.1% (20th in the league) and the defensive end was 3.5 (5th in the league).
This set of data comparison is also very obvious, Garnett is only in the steals and defensive plus-minus advantage. And he was able to finally get this best defensive player, probably because Duncan at that time was already in the late stages of his career, which was not of great value to the league.
It can be said that Duncan did not make it to the best defensive team as long as there are three:
- He had won enough honors that year, and on two occasions he had already won awards for Best Defense, Best Team and MVP, and it wasn't too much to give everyone else a piece of the pie.
- Duncan has always had relatively average defensive numbers, and only one year of rebounds has reached the first place in the league. Perhaps this relatively balanced performance makes many people ignore his defensive strength.
- Completely weak, for two seasons, Duncan is indeed inferior to his opponent in all statistics, which is a complete loss.
Duncan was selected for the season of defensive second-team:
1997–98 season (DPOY – Mutombo)
2003–04 season (DPOY – Meta-Waldpez)
2005–06 season (DPOY – Ben Wallace)
2008–09 season (DPOY – Dwight Howard)
2009–10 season (DPOY – Dwight Howard)
2011–12 season (DPOY – Tyson Chandler)
2014–15 (DPOY – Covy Leonard)