| Bowen Top Choice For Defensive Player Of The Year Authored by John Chapa - April 16, 2006 - 11:43 pm
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Of course our first stop on the awards ballot is MVP, the golden accolade that can only be adorned upon the loftiest of shoulders. With Former MVP Tim Duncan suffering from multiple ailments through out the year, many loyal spurs fans would expect banner years from Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Though both Manu and Parker had some very good games, neither could be considered worthy of the prize Most Valuable Player in the NBA. I’d look to Dirk Nowitzki, or Steve Nash to take the leagues top award this year.
With MVP dreams doused for the Spurs, we all know that there is one award that will always be at least a consideration among Spurs Players, Defensive Player of the Year.
And no player is hated, feared and respected more through out the league for his defense as Bruce Bowen. As the season trudged on in 06 it became apparent that a good defense was more important than a good offence in San Antonio. Having been plagued with injuries and sickness through-out the regular season, the Spurs haven’t had a lot of high scoring games. With that said we look to Bruce Bowen as defensive specialist that can on occasion be a threat from the outside.
Bowen has guarded them all this year, and despite an occasional slip in consistency he’s held his own against the best point guards, small guards, small and power forwards all season. Not to mention consistently receiving the best compliment a defender can get from his opposition; their uncensored slander.
Now that we’re only weeks away from the post-season, and San Antonio’s players are starting to look healthier I’d look for Coach Popovich to start taking Bowen to the outside more as a shooting guard. Bowen earned a reputation last post-season as an outside shooting threat after ringing up 29 post season 3-pointers in 2005 with a .433 outside shooting percentage.
We can count on San Antonio to go deep into one of the best matched post seasons on recent record. Boasting one of the deepest benches in the league it’s hard to imagine Duncan not leading his team to at least the third round of this year’s play-offs. And with a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year like Bowen things can only be looking brighter.
In a close second place for Defensive Player I’d pick Ben Wallace, then Gerald Wallace finishing third in the race. |
