NBA SIMS LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH - Week 19
| PLAYER | TEAM | WHY | STATS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | PER 44.27 |  Western 47-35 | To be expected that Giannis, one of, if not the most premier two way player in the league is on this list. Not that it factors into this award watch, but he continues to dominate offensively and carry a massive load, which makes it all the more impressive that he has the energy to impact the game the way he does on the defensive end of the court. His week 19 defensive stats are down compared to his season long averages. I would assume the main factor for this is that his minutes are down almost four per game. Maybe he and the Spurs have closed games early affording him more rest. | 10.1 DREB 1.4 STL 2.1 BLK +7.6 |
 | PER 39.55 |  Eastern 59-23 | SGA is a true MVP candidate and brings that calibre of play to both sides of the court. The Bucks have continued their dominant season lead by their trusted leader SGA. The two steals per game is nice, but the almost block per game from the guard position is a great addition. SGA and the Bucks are looking to play well into the post season, and I'm sure have their eyes set on the final prize. | 3.6 DREB 2.1 STL 0.9 BLK +8.7 |
 | PER 39.24 |  Eastern 55-27 | Lebron has continued to carry the Wizards through a so far successful season. Similar to what was mentioned for Giannis is how impressive it is to be this calibre of defensive player while also being top tier while you have the ball. Lebron has levelled up during week 19, increasing most of his stats across the board, but more specifically increasing his defensive ones. For this week he is up to 1.3 steals and a whopping 2.5 blocks per game. I am sure the GM Josh is more than delighted with this output. | 7.6 DREB 1.1 STL 1.8 BLK +6.6 |
 | PER 39.01 |  Eastern 44-38 | Looking at this list you could change the title to MVP watch and i don't think anyone would think twice. The nominated players all top tier in this league and Kevin Durant is one of those guys. Durant is sitting at two blocks for the season which is a great number. I remember early on in his career his impact on that side of the floor was questioned, but he has really transformed himself in to a true two way star. | 6.5 DREB 0.8 STL 2.0 BLK +5.1 |
 | PER 36.71 |  Eastern 39-43 | My boy Tatum has been the rock for the Celtics who have had a disappointing season to say the least. Tatum throughout his career continues to round out his game. His defensive numbers don't really stand out on the page, but his input and reliability has been a necessity for the team. With the play-in game about to happen, Tatum to needs to continue his strong play for Boston to not be knocked out early. | 5.7 DREB 0.8 STL 0.6 BLK +0.7 |
 | PER 33.35 |  Western 48-34 | Anthony Davis has always been one of the best big man defenders in the league and this season that has been no different. He has carried a big load during week 19, playing almost 40 minutes per night and in that week, he has averaged just under 3 steals per game which is elite. He obviously carries a massive offensive burden too. he needs to keep up this production in order for the Timberwolves to keep their season going. | 9.4 DREB 1.4 STL 2.0 BLK +3.7 |
 | PER 32.49 |  Western 46-36 | Jokic is not known for his defensive prowess but is really putting together a nice season. He is averaging over a block and steal per game for the season and during week 19 has upped his blocks to just under two per game. The almost 17 rebounds for the season is also a real nice number. Jokic minutes for week 19 were down only just above 30 per game which is low for a player of his calibre, so great to see that in less minutes he has increased his blocks per game. | 11.8 DREB 1.6 STL 1.2 BLK +4.9 |
 | PER 32.31 |  Eastern 47-35 | I am not really sure how Victor is on this list as he has been out injured for some time and hasn't played since match. Regardless his impact is special and by the looks of things will be on track to break lots of records through his career. | 11.9 DREB 1.9 STL 2.8 BLK +3.9 |
 | PER 31.84 |  Western 50-32 | Joel Embiid, who I would imagine is one of the more frustrating players to have on your team. Purely because he can be so dominating but just misses so much time. He was shut down for the year a little while ago, so his time this season protecting the paint and sending shots away with shot blocking is unfortunately over. Hopefully the Jazz and Jason can get him in more of a permanent role and cause some damage. | 10.1 DREB 1.5 STL 2.3 BLK +5.6 |
 | PER 23.61 |  Eastern 48-34 | KAT, who early on copped some flack for putting up numbers but potentially not impacting games the way the numbers may suggest. He seems to have put those comments to rest and is not one of the more versatile big men in the league. A true stretch big who can also mix it up in the paint. In week 19 he has put up 13 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. Real impressive numbers for him in Charlotte who are also looking to make a big splash this post season. | 12.4 DREB 1.9 STL 1.8 BLK +2.7 |