Marcus Smart Becomes First Guard to Win Defensive Player of the Year Since Gary Payton

Marcus Smart was announced as the 2021-2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

Smart was a part of the No. 1 rated defense in the League during the regular season. Smart became the first guard to win DPOY since Gary Payton did so in 1995-1996. The former sixth overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft is the second Celtic to win the award, joining Kevin Garnett (2007-08) as the only Celtics in franchise history to do so.

Smart, Rudy Gobert, and Mikal Bridges were the finalists to win the DPOY.