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Toronto Raptors: Who wins each award at the midseason mark?

By Thomas Valentine

TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 22: The Toronto Raptors pose for a photo with their 2019 Championship Rings prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 22, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 22: The Toronto Raptors pose for a photo with their 2019 Championship Rings prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 22, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors – Marc Gasol (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Defensive Player of the Year

Once again, we’ve got another pretty close scenario on our hands. That’s what happens when you have a team of collectively good defenders on the team, and when you have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA.

Oh, the choices.

The whole starting five of the Toronto Raptors are solid defenders. Even despite their lack of size, Lowry and VanVleet are dogged defenders at the guard positions The wing defenders of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are also both superb inside and out, but the award goes to the lynchpin of the Toronto Raptors defense, Marc Gasol.

Gasol has always had a reputation as a staunch defender of the rim, despite never amassing more than 1.9 blocks per game during a single season. Still, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2012-13 NBA season for a reason.

This season, he’s averaging 1.0 block and 0.9 steals per game as he’s providing a strong interior presence for the Raptors. That much is evident on a nightly basis, as the Raptors are giving up only 42.7 points in the paint per game, second only to the Milwaukee Bucks — the same team who have the best defensive rating in the league.

The Raptors force teams into bad shots, funneling them to the rim to face off with Gasol at the rim, or to pull-up from the midrange where he can contest with his length. His movement and communication – even in his age 34 season – are both next level.

Give him his dues, Gasol is still one of the best.

WINNER: MARC GASOL

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