NBA: Steals-leader Leonard of Spurs voted top defender
San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, only the sixth forward to lead the NBA in steals, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday. Leonard, who became the first Spurs player since David Robinson in 1992 to win the award, took 37 first-place votes and 333 total points from a media panel to edge Golden State's Draymond Green, who had 45 first-place nods but only 317 total points. DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers was third with 261 points after 32 first-place ballots. Anthony Davis of New Orleans was fourth on 107 with French center Rudy Gobert of Utah fifth on 33 and Australian center Andrew Bogut of Golden State sixth on 31. Leonard averaged career highs of 2.31 steals and 5.9 defensive rebounds for a San Antonio defensive side that allowed opponents only 97 points a game, denying foes a triple-digit average for the 20th consecutive season. When Leonard was on the court, the Spurs surrendered only 97.1 points a game, what would have been a league-leading average. But when he was absent, the team allowed 102.2 points a game, only an average mark. The Spurs and Clippers are level at 1-1 in their best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series.
