Tyson Chandler Becomes First NY Knick to Win NBA Defensive Player of the Year Honors

Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks has been named the winner of the 2011-12 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Chandler becomes the first player in Knicks' franchise history to earn the honor.

With Chandler anchoring the middle, New York’s defense improved markedly from the previous season in multiple categories.

The Knicks ranked among the top half of the league in opponent turnovers per game (17.0, 2nd), opponent field goal percentage (.442, 10th), and opponent scoring (94.7 ppg, 11th).

In addition, opposing teams averaged 22.5 more points and shot .520 from the field when Chandler was not in the lineup. Opponents shot a mere .438 with Chandler in the lineup. Chandler also grabbed 22.1 percent of his team’s defensive rebounds when he was on the floor.

Chandler received 311 points, including 45 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka finished second with 294 points, and Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who had won the award each of the previous three seasons, finished third with 186 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.

The Knicks will desperately need more of Chandler's quality defense in the coming days, as they are currently down 0-2 to the Miami Heat in their first round best-of-seven playoff series.

ALL-TIME NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1982-83 Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee
1983-84 Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee
1984-85 Mark Eaton, Utah
1985-86 Alvin Robertson, San Antonio
1986-87 Michael Cooper, L.A. Lakers
1987-88 Michael Jordan, Chicago
1988-89 Mark Eaton, Utah
1989-90 Dennis Rodman, Detroit
1990-91 Dennis Rodman, Detroit
1991-92 David Robinson, San Antonio
1992-93 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1994-95 Dikembe Mutombo, Denver
1995-96 Gary Payton, Seattle
1996-97 Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta
1997-98 Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta
1998-99 Alonzo Mourning, Miami
1999-00 Alonzo Mourning, Miami
2000-01 Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia
2001-02 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2002-03 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2003-04 Ron Artest, Indiana
2004-05 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2005-06 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2006-07 Marcus Camby, Denver
2007-08 Kevin Garnett, Boston
2008-09 Dwight Howard, Orlando
2009-10 Dwight Howard, Orlando
2010-11 Dwight Howard, Orlando
2011-12 Tyson Chandler, New York

By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services