Mikal Bridges: The amount of times a big has won Defensive Player of the Year over a guard is crazy

Mikal Bridges, in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports, wants voters to dig deeper. “I would never discredit anybody, and obviously bigs have been winning that award for a while and they do a hell of a job, but the amount of times a big has won over a guard is just crazy,” Bridges told Yahoo Sports. “I think people take it for granted how tough it is to guard the top perimeter players in this league and not be able to really touch them because they’re going to get the foul call. I feel like as a defender on the perimeter, you just get disrespected. I’m not even talking about me personally, but I don’t understand how guards in general don’t win it. These guards are shooting off ball screens, they get isos with the offense spaced out and a lot of shooters on the court. You’ve got to guard these matchups one-on-one, and I think we just get taken for granted.”
Source: Chris Haynes @ Yahoo! Sports

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Sam Amick @sam_amick
Also in the Suns story: A convo with Mikal Bridges about his defensive identity. All credit, he says, goes to his Villanova experience. More here, at @TheAthletic
theathletic.com/3238139/2022/0… – 11:23 AM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
On this awards roundup, The Ringer has Devin Booker 4th for MVP, Mikal Bridges 3rd for DPOY, Cam Johnson 3rd for 6MOY and Monty Williams winning COY:
theringer.com/nba/2022/4/7/2… – 2:01 PM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Things I’m keeping an eye on tonight:
1) Cam Johnson shooting all the shots
2) Mikal Bridges’ minute total
3) Aaron Holiday/Elfrid Payton/Iffe Lundberg backup PG minutes
4) How Paul George and Norm Powell look – 10:25 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
#Suns started Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and JaVale McGee.
My apologies.
Working on this story as well as trying to keep track of game, interviewing folks, ect. ec.t
My bad.
#Suns down 16-9 early. George with 10. Timeout Phoenix 6:14 left in 1st – 10:24 PM

Mirjam Swanson @MirjamSwanson
Game 80!
LAC
Nicolas Batum
Marcus Morris Sr.
Ivica Zubac
Paul George
Reggie Jackson
PHX
Mikal Bridges
Cameron Johnson
JaVale McGee
Landry Shamet
Cameron Payne – 9:36 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
So I would expect Suns to start
Cameron Payne
Landry Shamet
Mikal Bridges
Cameron Johnson
JaVale McGee
And I would expect same Clippers starters, but with a second unit of:
Terance Mann
Luke Kennard
Norman Powell
Robert Covington
Isaiah Hartenstein – 3:43 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
As Chris Paul throws a fast break lob to Mikal Bridges, the Lakers go down 94-70 with 3:29 left in the third quarter.
All the Lakers on the court stalked back to the bench with their heads down. They look beaten and broken. – 12:15 AM

Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
I have no idea how Mikal Bridges finished that layup and I have no idea how it wasn’t an and-1 given the tight whistle so far – 11:05 PM

More on this storyline

Golden State Warriors defensive star Draymond Green said Bridges would be his choice for DPOY. “That was so dope to hear that from Draymond,” Bridges said of Green. “Obviously with everything he does on the court, he understands how tough it is to guard a dude on ball. I just wish the voters would actually watch the games. But I can only control what I can control.” -via Yahoo! Sports / April 8, 2022

It’s been 26 years since a guard was awarded the hardware. Hall of Famer Gary Payton was the last guard to receive it in 1996. “I’m telling you, again, I’ll never discredit none of the bigs, but they don’t have the matchups we have to face,” Bridges told Yahoo Sports. “There are not as many talented bigs in the league as there are talented wing players and guards. Guarding one through four is tough. If you want to do the math, look up how many skilled players are one through four, and then how many skilled players are at the five. Obviously, you have a lot of talented fives, but out of all 30 teams, not every big on the team is very skilled. That’s just how I look at it. -via Yahoo! Sports / April 8, 2022

Cody Taylor: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 24 of the 2021-22 season (March 28 – April 3). -via Twitter @CodyTaylorNBA / April 4, 2022