To join the discussion and get your Defensive Player of the Year comments on ESPN.com, respond to the NBA DPOY Top 5 rankings using the Twitter hashtag #DPOY.
1. LEBRON JAMES, HEAT @KingJames
2011-12 STATS
ESPN ranks LeBron James the Defensive Player of the Year. Monstrous athlete who now derives sick pleasure from shutting players down. #DPOY— Matthew Davis (@CouchsideSeats) March 21, 2012
How is LBJ #DPOY? It is sick. D12 is so imposing ppl give up driving and Iggy holds players to lost PER in league when guarding them
— Eric Cunningham (@ericblogsalot) March 21, 2012
LeBron might be the second person to ever win the MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP in the same season (Hakeem)
— Harsimran Minhas (@Superman5190) March 21, 2012
Photo credit: Layne Murdoch/Getty Images
2. DWIGHT HOWARD, MAGIC @DwightHoward
2011-12 STATS
When @DwightHoward can guard DRose on one play and Joakim Noah on the next, I will consider him a better defender than @KingJames. # DPOY— Manu M. (@ManuBMenon) March 21, 2012
#DPOY Dwight Howard at #2. He can play D on the court but off it he can't defend the indecision. @NBAonESPN
— LOVEandHATEHOOPS (@LOVEHATEHOOPS) March 21, 2012
@NBAonESPN Agree with Dwight Howard being 2nd. Your team have to be at least in the top 10 defensively for you to be #1 #DPOY
— Osman (@azzyosman) March 21, 2012
Photo credit: Fernando Medina/Getty Images
3. ANDRE IGUODALA, SIXERS
2011-12 STATS
@NBAonESPN Great spot for Iggy. One of the very few perimeter defenders in the league who you can trust to defend LBJ one on one. #DPOY— Tony Parsons (@Tony_Parsons7) March 21, 2012
Should be higher RT @NBAonESPN: #DPOY 3: Andre Iguodala. es.pn/GD0nG0
— Michael Welte (@Mwelte22) March 21, 2012
Photo credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
4. SERGE IBAKA, THUNDER
2011-12 STATS
Sorry, but Serge Ibaka should not be in the top five in DPOY voting.— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_SI) March 21, 2012
#DPOY Serge Ibaka leds bpg, and averages 8 rpg. But what really matters about him is his intimidation. Rivals fear a block n don't penetrate
— Will Ruiz Durán (@Pkt64) March 21, 2012
Allen at 5, Ibaka 4. D12 prob # 1. Cmon @MoBrooksESPN u know u gotta put @KingJames at 2...xtra props if u give him the deserving 1 #DPOY
— G.A. (@Geezy_86) March 21, 2012
There's no way that Allen/Ibaka = more dominant defensive force than Iguodala.Iguodala quarterbacks the best defense in the league #DPOY
— Jay Beware (@jaybeware) March 21, 2012
DPOY Ibaka may lead the league in blocks, but no player avoids the paint cause of him ...
— O-town Magic (@mad_squabs) March 21, 2012
DPOY How is Ibaka not 1ST OR 2ND How? @NBAonESPN
— USAMAH(Bunkiπ) (@SlowGrindOs) March 21, 2012
Photo credit: Mark L. Baer/US Presswire
5. TONY ALLEN, GRIZZLIES
2011-12 STATS
#DPOY @aa000G9 Has my vote for defensive player of the year. Defense is a mindset and Tony just has "it"— Joey Piacenti (@joeypiacenti) March 21, 2012
Tony Allen was one of the reasons the Celtics were so good he can guard anybody without difficulty in this league #DPOY wish we had him still.
— Cam Yotch (@camyotch) March 21, 2012
Photo credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
What is #DPOY?
#DPOY is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.
You can also follow along here: @NBAonESPN
Maurice Brooks is an NBA editor at ESPN.com. Follow Maurice on Twitter: @MoBrooksESPN.