Latest news with #2025DefensivePlayeroftheYear
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley wins 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley has been named the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Thursday. The fourth-year forward beat out Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green and Atlanta Hawks' Dyson Daniels to earn his first league-wide honor. Mobley finished the season averaging 18.5 points per game, but his defensive presence also contributed to Cleveland's success this year. Mobley finished with 9.3 rebounds per game, averaging 7.0 defensive rebounds; he also nabbed 1.6 blocks per game and 0.9 steals per game. Advertisement In a race without a clear frontrunner, Mobley ended up on top. The forward received 35 first-place votes and 30 second-place votes to finish with 285 total points — well ahead of Daniels (197 points) and Green (154 points). The 2025 race for DPOY was more open that normal, in part because a number of players were not eligible for the award. Players are required to play in at least 65 games in order to be considered for end-of-season awards; they also had to play at least 20 minutes in 63 of those games. That requirement put several players out of contention, including Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined after the All-Star break with a blood clot in his shoulder after 46 games. But it left Mobley (71 games), Green (68 games) and Daniels (76 games) free to become the award's three finalists. Advertisement With Wembanyama out, the conversation around the award completely changed without a frontrunner. (Even while missing the final two months of the season, Wembanyama still lead the leagues in blocks, ending with 176 blocks.) At the time, Memphis Grizzles center Jaren Jackson Jr. was an odds-on favorite for the award, but he did not end up making the final cut for the finalists.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Draymond vs. Jokić is matchup to watch in Warriors-Nuggets game
Draymond vs. Jokić is matchup to watch in Warriors-Nuggets game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Draymond Green's 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, moribund before the All-Star break, now is conspicuous and impressive, gliding across the NBA sky like a comet. Advertisement Now that Green is close enough to almost touch the award, he faces a threat that can interfere with his flight. Denver's redoubtable Nikola Jokić, three-time MVP and perhaps the league's most skilled offensive player, is coming to town Friday night. This is the daunting welcome-home greeting that awaits Draymond and the Warriors after a stirring two-week road trip. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins with 'Warriors Pregame Live' at 6 p.m., followed by tipoff from Chase Center shortly after 7. The Green-Jokić matchup is the backdrop of a game with serious implications. Golden State (45-31) is fifth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind the third-place Nuggets (47-30). Both teams are eager to remain in the top six, thereby avoiding the play-in tournament. Jokić simply presents more problems for a defense than any other player in the NBA. He's third in scoring (29.7 points per game), second in rebounding (12.8), second in assists (10.2) and is shooting a career-high 41.6 percent beyond the arc. Advertisement 'I feel very confident that most centers in the NBA, I can outthink – maybe not Joker,' Green, who gives away five inches and about 50 pounds, said a few weeks ago. Jokić is the exception to most every rule. Nobody 'stops' him, but Draymond approaches the task by trying to bother the 6-foot-11, 280-pound superstar enough to disrupt rhythm. He's averaging 21.6 points per game over his last 10 matchups with Green. Considering Jokić in his last game produced 61 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, Draymond – and the Warriors – would gladly take a 22-point night at Chase. If the Nuggets prevail with Jokić dominating the action on Friday – he obviously has the capacity to do so – it could slow the momentum of Green's DPOY campaign. One game, however, should not have a massive impact on voters. Advertisement But a Golden State victory, coupled with a defensively impactful game from Draymond, surely would impress voters still studying the work of other candidates, such as Cleveland's Evan Mobley and Oklahoma City's Lu Dort. This is a night on which the Warriors have a chance to accomplish two important goals. Winning would snap a nine-game losing streak against the Nuggets that dates to March 10, 2022. And Green has a chance to clinch the second DPOY award of his 13-year career. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast


USA Today
07-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Twitter reacts to Pat Surtain winning Defensive Player of the Year
Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain was named the NFL's 2024 Defensive Player of the Year during NFL Honors on Thursday night. Here's a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X. AP Defensive Player of the Year voting: Patrick Surtain II 26-11-2-4-1: 330 Trey Hendrickson 11-10-9-8-2: 205 Myles Garrett 5-11-12-8-5: 162 T.J. Watt 3-7-8-11-3: 114 Zack Baun 2-2-6-5-5: 63 Kerby… — Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 7, 2025 Pat Surtain II is the FIRST cornerback in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year and have two first-team All-Pros in his first four seasons. Only 10 players have ever done it — and 4 of the 5 HOF-eligible players have been inducted. PS2 is taking steps toward Canton. — Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) February 7, 2025 Pat Surtain II is your Defensive Player of the Year 🔒 — B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 7, 2025 #Broncos CB Patrick Surtain is the winner of the 2024 AP Defensive Player of the Year. A true shutdown corner, Surtain recorded four interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and led the league with 132 interception return yards. — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 7, 2025 #Broncos CB Pat Surtain has been named the AP 2024 Defensive Player of the Year — MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) February 7, 2025 Pat Surtain II among CBs 🏆 The most valuable DB, per PFF WAR 🏆 87.4 coverage grade, 1st among CBs 2024 Defensive Player of the Year — PFF (@PFF) February 7, 2025 Pat Surtain II wins 2025 Defensive Player of the Year award. Surtain's ranks among CBs in 2024, per @PFF: 8.6 yards per reception (7th) 82 YAC (14th) 4 INTs (t-5th) 1 TD allowed (t-11th) 61.1 passer rating allowed (2nd) — Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) February 7, 2025 CONGRATULATIONS TO PAT SURTAIN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR!!!! WELL DESERVED!!! #BroncosCountry — NuggetsNation (@nuggetsfan4ever) February 7, 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II made the most impactful play of the Broncos' season — Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) February 7, 2025 Meu amigo Pat Surtain é o DPOY da temporada 2024 🤩🤩 — Mile High Brasil (@MileHighBrasil) February 7, 2025 Did anyone else catch that F-up on NFL Honors? Pat Surtain II is accepting DPOTY and the name Miles Garrett pops up on the screen as the winner — Christi (@cmann81) February 7, 2025 Myles Garrett won the @NFL Defensive player of the year award. Or was it Pat Surtain? 🤔 NFL is throwing mixed signals here. Who REALLY won the award? 🧐 — Football Guy 🏈 𝕏 (@Raldi616) February 7, 2025 They may have mixed up a few letters on Pat Surtain's name — ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) February 7, 2025 Pat Surtain II is the seventh cornerback to win Defensive Player of the Year along with 2019 Stephon Gilmore, 2009 Charles Woodson, 1994 Deion Sanders, 1993 Rod Woodson, 1980 Lester Hayes, and 1975 Mel Blount. He's the second Broncos player to win the award along with LB Randy… — Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) February 7, 2025 Here's a look at Pat Surtain's performance against some of the top WRs in the NFL. This is as lockdown as it gets in the modern NFL. Well deserved DPOY #denverbroncos — Jackson Simons (@JacksonSimons15) February 7, 2025 Surtain, 24, is the seventh cornerback in NFL history to win the award and the second Bronco to take home the honor, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar (1978). Already considered the game's best cornerback, Surtain is now recognized as the best defensive player in the NFL.