Anthony Davis not a front-runner in the race for Defensive Player of the Year: Report

When Anthony Davis signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he stated his ambition of winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award was the primary reason behind his move from New Orleans. During an interview in September 2019, he stated that he wanted to be the NBA DPOY and wanted to be on the All-Defensive Team with LeBron James. Before the current season was suspended in March, Davis was leading the team in blocks with 2.4 blocks per game, and third overall in the NBA. He was also leading the team with 1.5 steals per game. However, a recent ESPN survey shows that Davis may not be the first choice for the NBA DPOY award. 

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Lakers star Anthony Davis not the front-runner for the NBA DPOY award

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While Davis has been performing exceptionally well on the defensive front, Anthony Davis is seemingly not the first option for the DPOY award. As per the poll, Davis is not even on the second spot. Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is in first place with 56 percent of the votes, with current DPOY Rudy Gobert finishing second. Along with the DPOY, Antentokounmpo is also in the running to retain his MVP award, ahead of Davis' teammate, LeBron James. 

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LeBron James backs Anthony Davis for the DPOY award

LeBron James agreed that Anthony Davis should be the Defensive Player of the Year. On their official podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers backed Davis for the NBA DPOY award. LeBron James retweeted the tweet and stated that he does not find any lie there. LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel also voiced his support for Davis as the NBA DPOY. He stated that 'no one in the league is like him defensively in terms of being able to guard all positions, protect the rim the way he does and deflect the basketball, contain the basketball'. He added that 'there really isn’t anyone in the league like him' and if the Lakers continue to play like they are doing, Davis has a chance to be crowned the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.

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