The Defensive Player of the Year award is usually given to a large man. It has done so for 17 of the previous 20 years. Only Kawhi Leonard and Metta World Peace have won the award while playing perimeter defense during that time period.
But I'm here today to tell you that Mikal Bridges, the most recent member of that group, should be highly considered.
This season, the Suns' wing has been a constant two-way force for the team, playing exceptional defense and shutting down opponents. That should go without saying. He excels at what he does. But you know how these things work. If you want to win an award, you must have a trademark moment.
And Bridges had just gotten his. He pushed Stephen Curry to have one of his worst shooting nights of all time. EVER.
Consider the following statistic.
Steph Curry just had the worst shooting night of his career when attempting at least 20 shots, via @NBAonTNTMikal Bridges locked up Steph tonight. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/4fUFVqVrC0— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 1, 2021
And it wasn't just Steph, either. Bridges is actually on quite a bit of a run.
Mikal Bridges Last 2 AssignmentsJames Harden:12 pts4-15 FG0-6 3P7 turnoversSteph Curry:12 pts4-21 FG3-14 3P2 turnoverYour DPOY pick not locking up MVPs on a nightly basis? Well… that ain’t ur DPOY then👨🦯 pic.twitter.com/CPha7GzBFi— Khiz (@KhizHoops) December 1, 2021
Fans came out in droves to show their support for Bridges.
Mikal Bridges just had one of the most impactful two-point performances you’ll ever see.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 1, 2021
Watching the odds on Mikal Bridges to win DPOY drop in the last 30 minutes is like watching the ending of the Titanic.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) December 1, 2021
Mikal Bridges successfully guarded Kevin Durant and Steph Curry in consecutive games. And he was *wildly* successful against the latter.
— Max (@maxmcc11) December 1, 2021
Mikal Bridges for DPOY isn’t a cute meme anymore. He’s very much at that level.
Suns are the real deal, they had Steph looking like Acie Law tonight Mikal Bridges is the goat.
— Ahmed/Lakers stink🇸🇴 (@big_business_) December 1, 2021
And that play by Mikal Bridges on Steph Curry is why he should be All-Star worthy when we get to mid-February.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) December 1, 2021
One of the elite defenders in this league.
It's wild how Mikal Bridges has 2 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds on 1-4 FG and has still been one of the most impactful players in this game
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 1, 2021
Mikal Bridges has gone from DPOY dark-horse contender to favorite with tonight’s performance.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 1, 2021
Even Vegas could see how well Bridges played.
The odds for Mikal Bridges DPOY dropped from +12,000, where they first posted, to +3500 after last night.
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) December 1, 2021
That's how you can tell it's genuine.
It's still early, so don't get too worked up. And there is still plenty more basketball to be played - after all, it is only December.
But make no mistake: Mikal Bridges should be an All-Star and a strong contender for Defensive Player of the Year and come award season.
We'll have to wait and watch how the electorate responds.