Historical level of defense, but Duncan has no best defensive player in his career, which is ridiculous

On June 27, in the NBA's history scroll, the art of defense is often overshadowed by gorgeous scoring performances, but real basketball connoisseurs know that the creation of a championship trophy must stand on the iron-like defense foundation. When we turn our attention to the glorious dynasty of the San Antonio Spurs spanning twenty years, Tim Duncan, the silent defensive monument, has become the most interesting paradox in the league's awards mechanism with 15 selected to be the best defensive team (first in history) but never scored the best defensive player (DPOY) 15 times.

**Defensive wisdom that data cannot be measured**

Turn on Duncan's defensive resume, those cold data can no longer bear their true value. The basic defensive data of 2.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in his career are far less eye-catching than Ben Wallace (4 times won in 2002-06) or Deakinbe Mutombo's finger-shaking performance in the DPOY selection. But the defensive philosophy under the Spurs system is precisely: every defensive choice of Duncan reconstructs the opponent's offensive logic. In the classic case of the 2004-05 season, he let his opponent's shooting percentage in the penalty area plummet to 43.2%, which is even lower than the league's average shooting percentage outside the three-point line that year (35.6%). This invisible deterrence formed through prediction and space compression is a perfect interpretation of modern basketball's "Defensive Impact" theory.

**The defensive code of the Spurs system**

Greg Popovich created a defensive system like a precision gear set, and Duncan is the most critical transmission shaft. In an era when joint defense was not yet legal, Duncan's original "pseudo-joint defense" tactic - creating more local defense less by delaying return to position, became the ultimate weapon for the Spurs to deal with pick-and-roll. In the 2007 playoff series against the Suns, he let Stoudemire score per game drop from 20.4 points in the regular season to 14.8 points. This systematic limitation on the super inside is far beyond the block data. What is even more amazing is that from the shrinking season in 1999 to the revenge of the Heat in 2014, the Spurs' defensive efficiency led by Duncan has always ranked among the top five in the league. This adaptability that spans three eras has completely subverted the inherent perception of "defense depends on physical fitness". The visual bias of the award mechanism**

**The "eye effect" in the DPOY selection is particularly exposed to Duncan. Comparing the award-winning Mutombo (13.5 rebounds per game + 2.7 blocks per game) and Duncan (12.2 rebounds per game + 2.3 blocks per game), the former's exaggerated defensive celebration moves and iconic finger shaking are in sharp contrast to the latter's silent retreat. The NBA official documentary "The Timeline" once disclosed that in the 2007 DPOY selection, Duncan ranked first in the coach voting process, but was dragged down by the media votes to third. This separation between professional perspective and mass communication has led to the value of "silent and silent" in the defensive system being continuously underestimated.

**The cross-eracial defensive benchmark**

When modern basketball entered the era of data revolution, Duncan's defensive value was actually renamed in retrospective research. ESPN's defensive real positive and negative value (DRPM) statistics show that Duncan led the league for five consecutive years in the peak period of 2002-06. This high-level data covering complex variables such as defensive counterattack and teamwork has finally made it clear. What is more interesting is that in 2014, 38-year-old Duncan averaged only 14 points per game in the finals, and used textbook-like vertical jump defense to crack the Heat's small ball system. At this time, six years have passed since he was last selected as the best defense team, but he can still complete the defensive teaching of basketball in the new era.

In this league that pursues visual stimulation, Duncan's defensive aesthetics requires professional ears to appreciate like classical music. The record of the 15 best defensive lineup may always be dusty, but those offensive choices that have been strangled in the bud, the reshaped opponent's shooting distribution, and the defensive culture inherited in the Spurs locker room are the most noble praises to this "imperfect perfect defender". When blocking machines like Rudy Gobert can win both DPOYs, history will eventually prove that some greatness does not require trophies to endorse.