National Basketball Association

Jae Crowder is Boston's top DPOY Candidate

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jae Crowder, not Avery Bradley, is Boston’s top defensive player of the year candidate

Avery Bradley is showing the league how confident he is with his recent comments on the defensive player of the year award. The Boston Celtics pride themselves on the defense of their guards and Bradley sets the standard for them. Even by his peers, Bradley has been recognized as truly elite at what he does and it would be foolish to disregard him in the defensive player of the year race.

As great as Bradley is for the Celtics, there is one other player who is standing in a better position to take home the award, Jae Crowder. Perhaps the biggest advantage that Crowder has on Bradley is his versatility. A natural small forward who is comfortable playing the four in small ball lineups. Crowder is continually tasked with guarding an opposing teams best athlete and he covers the widest range of positions on the team.

Crowder has the toughest defensive job on the Celtics, and he still excels in every way. For Bradley, the key could end up being how dominant the guard position is in the NBA right now. Guard is the only position where Crowder is not the most responsible defender, because that is where Bradley has his most important impact and that is where the Celtics have their best defensive depth.

Shutting down guards means shutting down some of the biggest stars and most unguardable players in the league, and that is a great way for Bradley to generate the attention he needs for a chance at the award.

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Even though Crowder is more likely to play against more difficult match ups, Bradley is not that far behind because of the quality of guards right now. Versatility is where Crowder gets his first edge, but he is also favoured statistically.

It is impossible to properly quantify the kind of impact Bradley has on the defensive end. With the way the Celtics play defense as a unit, much less of the success is individual, and their best defenders’ impact goes far beyond what they put into the box score.

Apr 21, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) loses the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36), forward Brandon Bass (30) and guard Avery Bradley (0) in the first quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most remarkable aspects of Crowder last season was, on top of the fact that he dealt with the toughest match ups, he also lead the team in steals. Turnovers were Boston’s biggest strength last season, and that is where Crowder’s aggressiveness was in full display. Bradley, however, was not far behind Crowder’s 1.7 steals per game, a difference of 0.2 is not insurmountable.

Crowder’s responsibilities also allow him to have more of an impact in the paint. They are, by far, the two best on ball defenders on the Celtics, but Bradley stays almost exclusively on the exterior. Crowder spends most of his time on the exterior, but has no problem taking advantage of his strength when it is needed in the paint.

Historically, Crowder’s position also gives him a distinct advantage. The defensive player of the year award has been dominated by front court players. The last time a guard took home the award was in 1996 with Gary Peyton.

Front court players have always been recognized as the anchors of a team’s defense, and their importance is given more respect than guards on the defensive end. That being said, the Celtics’ defense has depended more on their guards than anyone else in the NBA.

Their complete lack of rim protection should be improved with Al Horford, but the back court is where the Celtics will remain their strongest defensively. The guards set the tone with the aggressive and relentless pressure on the ball and, as a group, they are the most responsible for generating steals.

Bradley’s importance is inflated because of how important their guards are, but that is not enough to make him a favourite over Crowder. Taking nothing away from Bradley, it is had to argue against Crowder being the strongest defensive player on the Celtics.

Last season, Crowder had a better defensive rating, a better defensive box plus minus, more defensive win shares and better block and steal percentages. A lot more of what Bradley does goes uncredited statistically, but Crowder brought that same kind of impact together with the statistics that are needed to bring home a defensive player of the year award.

With the improvement that Horford brings on the interior, the Celtics have an opportunity to be the strongest and most balanced defensive team in the league. There is no doubting that they will draw a lot of attention in the defensive player of the year conversation and most of that attention will be brought in by Bradley and Crowder.

Right now, Crowder has to stand as the favourite. The best part is that at just 25 years old a piece, they could both continue to improve. Even if Bradley is not the favourite on the Celtics, it is a refreshing sight to see the team with two legitimate candidates heading into the regular season.

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