'Stolen': Big man bias denies Daniels DPOY Award

• Australian Dyson Daniels led the NBA is six key defensive categories
• Daniels collected the most steals (229) in the 21st century
• Daniels was the first player in 30 years to have 200+ steals and 50+ blocks

Australian Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is not the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year ... despite one of the most dominant on-ball performances in the past 30 years.

Australian Boomers guard Daniels, 22, was named as a three-player finalist alongside Gold State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Cleveland Cavaliers centre Evan Mobley.

Mobley was named as the Defensive Player of the Year on April 25, 2025 (AEST) with 285 points including 35 first-place votes. Daniels finished second with 197 points with 25 first-placed votes.

Daniels finished the regular season leading the NBA in six key defensive categories:

• Steals (229)
• Steals per game (3.01)
• Total deflections (443)
• Deflections per game (5.8)
• Total stocks (284, steals + blocks)
• Total stops (297, steals + blocks + offensive fouls drawn)

The next closest in steals — it wasn't close — was OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 131, Clippers Kris Dunn (128) and Denver's Nikola Jokić on 127. SGA and Jokić are the leading NBA MVP candidates.

Daniels' 229 steals is equal 20th for steals in a single season, tied with Johnny Moore's mark in the 1984-85 season.

Mobley finished 6th in blocks per game (1.6), 14th in rebounds per game (9.3), 13th in defensive rebounds (7.0), and 106th in steals (0.9).

Daniels' All-Star Hawks teammate Trae Young wrote on X after the announcement: "Motivation @DysonDaniels. Real ones know. 1of1 #RealDPOY"

He was the first player since Scottie Pippen 30 YEARS AGO to have 200+ steals and 50 blocks in a single NBA season and the most steals since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season, the year the Seattle Supersonics went to the NBA Finals.

Daniels has had five steals or more in 12 games, including four games with six, two with seven and his career high eight against Joe Ingles' Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Eve 2024.

Mobley's first DPOY doesn't even stack up to four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace (2003-2006). Wallace led the league in rebounding and blocks in 2001-02, first and second in 2002-03, fourth and fifth in 2004-05 and fifth and seventh in 2005-06.

Reminder: Mobley finished 6th in blocks per game (1.6), 14th in rebounds per game (9.3), 13th in defensive rebounds (7.0), and 106th in steals (0.9).