Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the NBA. As a result of his name getting mentioned so often in the MVP discussions, it also leaves his name out of other discussions, but only because they are not as pressing.
Among all the accolades the Oklahoma City Thunder star will corral this year, one that hasn’t come up has been the possibility of winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Among those who think he can win it is Thunder alum Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins Explains Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Case
On ESPN’s NBA Today, Perkins made it clear that he wants to know why Gilgeous-Alexander, who could win the league’s MVP trophy this season, isn’t a candidate for the DPOY award.
“Let’s go to the other side of the floor for (Gilgeous-Alexander). Why isn’t he in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation?” Perkins asked.
He then explained why he believes the Thunder star has a case to win Defensive Player of the Year.
“He’s top-20 for opponents field goal percentage, and his position at the guard, for blocked shots, he’s top-five. He’s number two in steals. Their team leads every category defensively. They are number one. Why is he not in that conversation? We always lean in towards the bigs, who’s blocking shots, and who’s rim protecting. SGA is doing his damn thing.”
"Why isn't SGA in the defensive player of the year conversation?"
– Kendrick Perkins
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 19, 2025
Stacked Against Gilgeous-Alexander?
The NBA typically awards Defensive Player of the Year to big men because they cover more ground than the smaller players do. Centers and power forwards usually win the award. Small forwards have won it in the past, but they are typically bigger than the prototypical small forward, like Kawhi Leonard.
The last time a guard won the award was Marcus Smart in 2022. However, he was the first guard to win it since Gary Payton won it with the then-Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.
Gilgeous-Alexander is taller than Smart, and not a soul believes he’s a bad defender. He’s excellent at what he does. What hurts his case is not even that he’s not classified as a big man, but he is also surrounded by excellent defenders across the board.
Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso are all considered excellent defenders. Some of them are even considered the best in the NBA. That’s not to take away from the Thunder’s other defenders or Gilgeous-Alexander. If anything, it shows how impenetrable their defense is.
Perkins has a point that Gilgeous-Alexander’s defense deserves more recognition. Pushing for him to win Defensive Player of the Year might be a stretch, but it’s not ridiculous for the MVP candidate to at least be in the conversation.