Defensive Player of the Year

If Dwight Howard deserves the Defensive Player of the Year, then killing Afghan civilians is a good idea. This guy is one of the best shot blockers in the league. Penetrators have to think twice when they're in the paint against the Magic. But mere off-the-ball shot blocking should not a Defensive Player of the Year make.

Howard is often out of position. In attempting to block every shot, his man, generally the big man with the least offensive ability, finds himself open more than he's used to. Howard also needs a new nickname. He is "The Goaltender." He must lead the world in granting the other team two undeserved points.

The NBA needs a new system to determine the Defensive Player of the Year. It shouldn't be based on ppg. Steals and blocks are the only ways to quantify defense, but they are often misleading numbers. I mean, Gilbert Arenas puts up a lot of steals when healthy and he's one of the worst defenders I've ever witnessed.

Beat writers should nominate players who play great defense night in and night out. These writers follow a team throughout a season and know who the good defenders are and which players merely make the occasional highlight reel play. It should not be limited to one nomination per team. If you're a beat writer for the Rockets, you might nominate Battier and Artest. If you write on the Wizards, you might not nominate anyone. But this new way will reward guys who truly are good and often unheralded defenders, instead of great offensive players, who have a few flashy plays to hang their hats on.