Defensive Player of the Year – Kevin Durant
Absolutely not where you would expect to find one of the best offensive players of all-time, but stick with us on this one. Durant is not going to win the MVP award this season, because as already mentioned this is Booker’s team. There is also no guarantee he will win another championship either, with this season representing one of his last real chances.
We know Durant is all about legacy, and rightly or wrongly his two championships with the Golden State Warriors are viewed differently by many people. Now imagine if Durant could add being the best defensive player in the league to his resume? The last time a player as good at scoring the ball as he is did that was Michael Jordan.
LeBron James has never done it, and it would add another layer entirely to the career of Durant when he is retired. On top of that, there is also a very real reason why this could gain some steam as the season progresses. The lack of depth that the organization has at the center position, which has already seen Durant spend a lot of time there and look elite for stretches of games.
Jusuf Nurkic is the Suns’ starting big right now, and although he has stayed healthy to this point, the question mark on his health will always loom over him. Drew Eubanks is a fine backup, which would leave Durant to assume a bigger load as the group’s starting five. Nothing about Durant’s defensive numbers stand out, but if he anchors a contender for a season, that won’t even matter.