Dwight Howard, the heart and soul of the Orlando Magic, captured another NBA Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday afternoon. At age 25, he's already become the first player in league history to win the award in three consecutive seasons.
But what might be a little more surprising is the strong showing from the Celtics, both past and present. Kevin Garnett finished second in the DPOY voting, former C's swingman Tony Allen fourth, and Rajon Rondo fifth.
None of the above earned a single first-place vote — Howard earned 114 of the 119 top spots, while Grant Hill, Chuck Hayes, Joakim Noah and Keith Bogans each earned a little love.
Garnett finished second after winning the award once in 2008, his first season with the Celtics. KG's averages of 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game were his best since the Celtics' 2007-08 championship season.
Allen, now with the Grizzlies, left the Celtics last summer after six years, and he's had a breakout season in Memphis. He's posted career highs of 1.8 steals and 0.6 blocks, emerged as a fringe starter on a playoff team, and acted as a key defensive stopper on the wing.
Rondo finishes fifth for the second year in a row. He broke the Celtics' single-season franchise record last year with 189 steals; he came up short this season with only 153, but his on-ball defense and constant ball pressure have been keys to Boston's success this season.
