The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, the league announced Thursday.
He had 333 total points, including 37 first-place votes, from a panel of 129 sportswriters and broadcasters. The Warriors’ Draymond Green finished second with 45 first-place votes and 317 points. The Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan was third with 32 first-place votes and 261 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not participate as a matter of newspaper policy.
Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll finished with one third-place vote from a reporter at the MSG Network.
Leonard is the sixth forward to lead the NBA in steals per game since the league started tracking the statistic 42 years ago.
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