NBA News: Marcus Smart Boldly Explains Why Rudy Gobert Probably Should Not Win DPOY

As the NBA season winds down, fans turn their attention to one of the most highly contentious parts of the year: the year-end regular season awards.

The race for MVP honors has three big men vying for it, while the Most Improved Player plum could go to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant or teammate Desmond Bane.

In addition, others are also in the running like the San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray and Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With regards to the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), one player certainly believes that he has the edge over three-time winner Rudy Gobert.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently discussed how the DPOY race is shaping up, and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics is not convinced that Gobert or any other big man should win the coveted award this year.

“As a guard, especially on the team that switches a lot, especially on the No. 1 defensive team, you are worried about every single player. And here's the thing: when you see Defensive Player of the Year, that means he can guard all five spots,” Smart said.

"Nothing against Rudy [Gobert], but Rudy can't guard all five spots. I can guard all five spots and I have been doing it. I've done it very well."

Smart has definitely proven that he can guard all five positions over the years, but the NBA’s tracking data shows that his claims may be based on just his own experience.

In defending forwards, guards and centers, Gobert spends 46.5%, 17.8% and 35.7% respectively in defending these specific positions on the court.

Following this same rhetoric, Smart matches up against forwards, guards and centers 33.4%, 60.7% and 5.9% respectively.

It cannot be denied that Smart is one of the most versatile defenders in the league today, but Gobert has him beat in this specific category.

Opposing guards have a tendency to go after Gobert on defense since his moves are much slower than any other Utah Jazz player, allowing them to drive past him and make plays from there.

As for Smart, his agility on defense makes him a nightmare matchup for almost anyone he faces--the same goes for the Phoenix Suns’ Mikal Bridges.

When it comes to winning the DPOY award, centers (25) have almost exclusively won the title more than the forwards and guards combined since its inception.

While history is on the side of the centers, this might be the year that a perimeter player can buck the trend.