For a second consecutive season, Dwight Howard was named the 2009-10 NBA Defensive Player of the Year joining Ben Wallace as the only other player to win the honors two seasons in a row. Proving that chase down blocks look pretty, but don’t necessarily earn you an award.
Howard led the NBA in blocks with averages of 2.78 per game and rebounds at 13.2 per game, making him the only player to led the league in both categories in consecutive seasons. D12 also led the league in defensive rebounds per game (9.7), and was the reason the Magic defense led the league in opponent field goal percentage (.438) and fourth in points per game allowed (95.26).
Because of “Superman” like defense, Orlando won its third straight Southeast Division crown and finished second in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta’s Josh Smith and Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace finished well behind Howard in the Defensive Payer of the Year balloting.
[…] the game Dwight Howard received his Defensive Player of the Year award, and if you look Wallace’s face after he swats D12’s offering. You can tell he’s […]