Given Anthony Davis’s performance in the 2024 Olympics, it seemed like he was finally on track to receive recognition for his defensive prowess. He was a dominant force on defense, helping to close out nearly every tight game Team USA played, including the gold medal match against France.
Yet, within less than two weeks, things seem to have returned to their usual pattern.
In ESPN’s recent summer forecast series, they unveiled their predictions for major individual awards. For Anthony Davis, the Defensive Player of the Year rankings stood out.
And, unsurprisingly, it seems we’ve learned nothing new.
Victor Wembanyama topped the voting, which is understandable. Following him were Rudy Gobert, Bam Adebayo, and then AD.
To make matters worse, AD was the only player in the top seven who didn’t receive a first-place vote. Mikal Bridges, Jrue Holiday, and even Joel Embiid (!!) all got first-place votes.
Seriously? After witnessing AD’s defensive dominance in the Olympics, this is the outcome? I understand that international basketball differs from the NBA, but we just saw AD, not Bam, excel as the top defender for Team USA, and the gap was significant.
The ongoing debate about Gobert is getting tiresome. Every year, he’s hyped up as the top defender in the regular season, only to be less effective in the playoffs. For Lakers fans, this frustration is compounded by watching AD step up his game on both ends during the postseason, only to see this cycle repeat.
On a slightly positive note, AD was mentioned as a potential MVP candidate, though he ended up eighth and didn’t receive any first-place votes.
This lack of respect for AD’s defense extends beyond the NBA; he wasn’t even recognized as the best defensive player at the Olympics by FIBA.
Is this the epitome of offseason content? Certainly. Is it trivial in the grand scheme of things? Definitely. Are we irritated by it because it’s August and there’s little else to discuss? Absolutely.
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