LeBron James, Dwight Howard Not Convinced On 2013 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Results

After placing 14th in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting, three-time winner Dwight Howard could not believe what just had happened in the selection for the premier defensive man in the NBA.

Apparently, D12 isn't alone. LeBron James, who finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race for the second straight year, is also complaining with the way the voting shook out.

Howard and James, who combined for eight All-Defensive first team selections, are not convinced that Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol is the best defender in the NBA, that's for sure. But while they have other opinion about the legitimate winner, Gasol deserves some respect for anchoring the stingiest defense (88.7 points allowed against opponents per game) in the NBA.

Keep in mind that Gasol did not receive 212 points and 30 first-place votes for no reason. Gasol, who averaged 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steal for ballgame this season, is valuable for Memphis more than just the statistical numbers he provides on the defensive end.

The 7-foot-1, 265-pound Gasol is an intimidating force in the paint. His presence alone give opponents a second thought about driving to the lane while his rebounding skills prevented opponents from having second-chance opportunities. When Gasol is on the floor, the Grizzles were 6.8 points per 100 possessions better defensively.

On the other hand, other writers believe the Defensive Player of the Year plum should belong to players possessing better stats defensively and have capability to lock down the best scorer of the opposing team.

James, who accumulated 149 points and 18 first place votes, think he deserves to have significant considerations about the award because of his ability to guard all five positions.

"I guard everybody on the floor," James said while sitting at his locker in Milwaukee, according to ESPN on Thursday. "I don't know if it's one player in NBA history that's guarded 1 (point guards) through 5 (centers). It's over with now, but it's cool."

Meanwhile, Howard isn't buying this year's voting process and even thinks Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka has a greater shot at the prestigious individual award.

"I think Serge Ibaka with all the stuff he did this year, I think he should have been the guy to win it this year and last year, for the stuff he's done on the defensive end," Howard told ESPN. "I thought he was the clear-cut winner, but people saw it other ways.