Hawks guard Dyson Daniels put up a strong defensive season. He ultimately finished second in the race for Defensive Player of the Year.
Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The league named Daniels a finalist for the award earlier this week after tallying the votes but withheld the order they finished until after they broadcast the winner on TNT’s Inside the NBA during the playoffs. Daniels finished with 25 first-place votes, 17 second-place votes and 21 third-place votes for 197 total points. Mobley had 285.
An international panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA voted on the awards earlier this month.
Daniels just finished a career and historic season. He averaged a league-best three steals per game and finished the year with 229 steals, becoming the first player in 15 years to record more than 200 steals in a single season.
He is just the fifth player to do so before turning 23 years old, joining Magic Johnson, Chris Paul, Isiah Thomas and Dudley Bradley. He also became just the third player since 2000 to tally 200-plus steals in a single season, joining Chris Paul (2008-09, 2007-08) and Allen Iverson (2002-03).
Daniels averaged more than twice as many points per game than the year before, notching 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
In addition to earning a spot as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Daniels will likely earn his first All-Defensive team selection when the NBA announces those picks.
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