If the scoring champion is considered the sharpest offensive spear in a season, then the best defensive player is undoubtedly the toughest shield in the league in a season.

Just like Howard and Link's most successful draft pick in the Magic era, Wallace, "African Mountain" Mutombo and others, those who can win the best defensive player can generally support a team's defensive system, and such players are definitely worthy of the title of the best defensive player in the league.

But to be honest, it is really difficult to judge such things as defense. The scoring champion can only look at the scoring data. With MVP, the record and data performance can often get a reliable answer. However, on the defensive end, the defense level is difficult to measure with data, and many times the defense requires the efforts of the entire team, and personal defensive ability is difficult to quantify.

This makes it difficult for you to judge a player's defense from the data alone, and it is easy to have multiple standards.

The troubles caused by this difficulty in selection have led to many embarrassing things happening in the history of the NBA. Since the selection of the best defensive team in the 1968-69 season, the best defensive player, who symbolizes the best defensive team, has not entered the best defensive team for three times!

The most recent one was Tyson Chandler, who won the best defensive player last season, ended up only being the best defensive second team.

Even Mutombo, who is known as the "best defensive center in NBA history", has won the Best Defensive Player once, but has not been selected for the Best Defensive Team.

But this time, in the eyes of many media, Marc Gasol is very likely to not even be able to enter the best defensive second team!

Because judging from what I have learned, Chandler and Noah's votes in the best defensive lineup are likely to be higher than Gasol.

If they really compete with Gasol in the end, Gasol will become the first best defensive player in NBA history to not even be able to enter the best second team in the best defensive team.

The media are hyping up this, especially those who voted for Noah and Chandler, who even sneered at Gasol's finale for the award.

"Jokin Noah, averaging 2.1 blocks, 1.1 steals and 11.1 rebounds! What about Marc Gasol? Average 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steals and 7.8 rebounds! He has no data better than Noah, but he won the best defensive player?"

"Tyson Chandler supported the Knicks' defense. One fact you need to know is that Chandler's fourth-place partner is Anthony. Even so, he can protect the basket well. What can Marc Gasol do to put Chandler under his feet?"

"When Gasol was on the court, the Grizzlies lost 95.4 points per 100 ball possessions. And when he was not there, the number increased to 102.8 points. This is indeed a gorgeous stat, but I want to say that it is not just Gasol Jr., who is not even the best player in the Grizzlies' defense."

"LeBron James' defense is so good this season, but he actually lost to mere Marc Gasol? It's ridiculous!"

Marc Gasol has been questioned a lot so far in his career, but never once did the questioning voices be so large.

I just won the first regular season award in my career, but I received not praise but doubts. Anyone would be depressed if I had changed.

Gasol is no exception.

"They voted for this award for me. Now, I'm all coming to question me again."

The next day, on the plane back to Memphis, Gasol looked at the newspaper and smiled self-deprecatingly.

In fact, not everyone questioned Gasol. After all, the Best Defensive Player Award was generated by media votes. It was just that during this period, the voices of doubt overwhelmed the voices of support.

"Don't read newspapers, especially sports editions. Otherwise, you may even doubt whether those reporters have any brains." Link reached out to snatch Gasol's newspaper from the side, and got the prize, so he still cared about the reporters.

"They said I couldn't play the NBA, but what's the result? We're going to play in the Western Conference semi-finals now, Mark! Focus on and throw those idiots' voices behind my head." After Link said that, he put on headphones for Gasol so that the Spaniards could relax.

Gasol nodded slightly, and no longer cared about the reporters' words.

Compared to those reporters, Gasol is more willing to listen to the voices of those he trusts.

Seeing that Gasol's mood calmed down, Link felt much more relieved.

Link did not question the value of Gasol's best defensive player award at all. As Gasol's teammate, Link knew very well how important Gasol was on the defensive end.

Indeed, Gasol does not have such exaggerated athletic ability, so his blocks look "soft". However, there are quite a lot of blocks per game. In this era when rules are trying hard to protect offensive players, it is almost impossible for Mutombo to average more than 3 blocks per game.

Moreover, many of Gasol's defensive abilities cannot be reflected in the data, such as his assisted defense, his deterrence in the penalty area, etc.

Indeed, the Grizzlies' overall defense level is very high, which has led to some obscurity of Gasol's light being somewhat concealed. But Link's most intuitive feeling is that he is very relieved to hand over his back to Gasol. Even if he is broken through, Link will not be too worried. Because he knows that there are Espanyol guarding the penalty area.

The Gasol brothers actually had this experience in the NBA. In the first year when Gasol joined the Lakers, he was beaten by Garnett in the finals. At that time, Gasol was also questioned.

But it turns out that without Gasol, there would be no Kobe's last two championships.

Link believes that after the second round of the series starts, doubts about Gasol Jr. will gradually disappear.

Competitive sports, the results show everything. After the Grizzlies break out of the West, no one will question the value of Gasol, the best defensive player.

Now, what Link is more worried about is the Clippers.

After being behind the Nuggets 0-2 in Los Angeles, the Clippers have now stubbornly tied the total score of the series 2-2! Tonight, the Clippers will return to their home court and are likely to get the match point in three consecutive games!

Link sat back in his seat, turned on the computer, and watched videos of the two games of the Clippers again.

After losing two home games in a row, the Clippers did not fall into depravity. In the third game, when they were 13 points behind in the fourth quarter, the Clippers reversed the situation and eventually overtook and won.

The Clippers' tenacious fighting spirit surprised Link. Speaking of which, when the Grizzlies won 68, the Clippers seemed to have fought tenaciously until the end and did not admit defeat. In Link's impression, the Clippers have always been a team that always loses in the playoffs. But at least until now, the Clippers are still strong.

In the fourth game of the series, Paul scored 35 points! He beat Ty Lawson so much that George Carl scolded him for being autistic.

Tay Lawson has always thought that he was also a superstar player, but in this game, Paul was undoubtedly taught to be a human being, and he also saw what a real superstar was called.

Paul used to be active and independent attacks only at critical moments, and other times were mainly connected. But in this game, he explained what "I can score as long as I think."

The "captain" refused to capsize this time.

In addition to Paul, Griffin, Billups, Barnes and others also performed well in the fourth game.

Once the Nuggets enters the fourth quarter, it is easy to collapse because there is no final word.

The Clippers' two consecutive games have indeed played their character. If the Clippers win four consecutive games to reverse the Nuggets and win the series, Link would not be surprised.

But if you really encounter such a Clipper, the Grizzlies will be quite difficult. You are not afraid of those with strong strength, but you are afraid of those who cannot be killed.
Chapter completed!