As has the intensity and success of the Boston Celtics‘ defense increased from a solid one to one of the best in the NBA this season, as has a growing clamor for a pair of Celtics players anchoring that aspect of the team’s play to be in the running for the league’s 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award.
Nearly always won by big men in the last few decades, the conventional wisdom that center Robert Williams III would be the more probable of he and teammate Marcus Smart to earn the hardware given the Flower Mound native is a guard. Asked about the increasing attention he has been getting to win the award after shootaround Friday
“I think Smart deserves it, to be honest,” explained Williams unexpectedly.
“A lot of my defense of grit and my will to fight out there I get from just watching him,” added Timelord.
“Even in practice, him being vocal, and on the court, he’s a great defensive anchor first, but he’s a better leader. And he doesn’t even know that! He’s always talking, putting guys where they need to be. So just me, I feel like Smart should be the number one runner for that. But, we try to help each other when we’re out there. I try to learn from him, like I just said, as much as possible.”
“So, I feel like if anybody deserves it, it’s him for sure,” offered Williams.
While Smart might not be rated anywhere nearly as high as Timelord is in betting odds for the award — in part because of that aforementioned history of big men winning it — the eye test bears Williams out.
That the Celtics have a pair of legitimate DPOY candidates on their roster openly cheering each other on is the sort of luxury Boston fans have missed for some time.
And one only needs to look at the team’s current situation to understand why all of these things are connected.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
[mm-video type=video id=01fxqwemardfaasq4crn playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fxqwemardfaasq4crn/01fxqwemardfaasq4crn-17dba95b5a97bbb4a89b429b9b653a4d.jpg]
[lawrence-related id=99746,99743,99748,99735]
[listicle id=99721]
[vertical-gallery id=99683]
1
1
