Who Won the 2013 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award? Stats & Analysis

I still remember watching that 2013 NBA season unfold, thinking about how defense truly wins championships—or at least makes for some incredibly compelling basketball. When we talk about defensive excellence that year, one name immediately comes to mind: Marc Gasol. Now, I've been following the NBA for over two decades, and I have to say, Gasol's win was both surprising and completely deserved when you dig into the numbers. The Memphis Grizzlies' center beat out some serious competition, including LeBron James who was having an MVP-caliber season on both ends of the floor, and Joakim Noah who was the heart of Chicago's defensive identity.

What made Gasol's case particularly interesting was that his traditional stats didn't jump off the page—he averaged just 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Those numbers pale in comparison to some previous winners. But here's where analytics changed the conversation: Gasol's defensive rating of 99.2 points allowed per 100 possessions was elite, and Memphis' defense fell apart when he wasn't on the court. The Grizzlies allowed 6.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with Gasol patrolling the paint—that's the kind of impact that wins you this award. I've always believed defense is more about positioning and basketball IQ than flashy blocks, and Gasol proved that theory correct.

The voting reflected how the league was beginning to value defensive impact beyond basic counting stats. Gasol received 212 points and 30 first-place votes, edging out LeBron's 149 points and 18 first-place votes. Miami's defense was actually statistically better than Memphis' that season, but voters recognized Gasol as the anchor of his team's system in ways that transcended raw numbers. This reminds me of that curious phrase from the reference material: "But what's the good in all these if you're Creamline? The league's winningest team has seen this film before." In basketball terms, this speaks to how sometimes the most decorated teams or players might understand defensive principles on paper, but actually implementing them consistently against elite competition is another matter entirely.

Watching Gasol that season was like attending a masterclass in defensive positioning. He wasn't the most athletic center, but his footwork in the post was impeccable, his help defense timing was nearly perfect, and his communication directed the entire defense. I recall specifically a March game against the Spurs where he completely neutralized Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter—not with blocks, but by consistently contesting shots without fouling and disrupting San Antonio's offensive sets. Those are the moments that statistics struggle to capture but that win you Defensive Player of the Year.

The advanced metrics really tell the story of Gasol's impact. Memphis finished the season with the second-best defensive rating in the league at 100.3, just behind Indiana's 99.8. What's remarkable is that when Gasol was off the court, that rating ballooned to 107.1—which would have ranked near the bottom of the league. That +/- differential is one of the largest I've seen for any defensive player in the analytics era. Meanwhile, Miami had the seventh-best defense despite LeBron's incredible versatility, which perhaps explains why voters leaned toward Gasol's more centralized defensive impact.

Some critics argued that LeBron was more valuable defensively because he could guard all five positions, and I understand that perspective. Having covered numerous Heat games that season, I witnessed firsthand how LeBron's ability to switch onto point guards or bang with centers created nightmares for opposing offenses. But here's where I disagree with that line of thinking: consistency of impact matters more than versatility. Gasol provided elite rim protection for 35 minutes per game, while LeBron's defensive assignments varied based on matchup. The Grizzlies' entire defensive identity was built through Gasol in ways Miami's wasn't through LeBron.

Looking back, this award represented a shift in how we evaluate defense. It was one of the first times the voting strongly favored advanced analytics over traditional stats, paving the way for future winners like Draymond Green. Gasol became the first Grizzlies player to win the award and only the second European-born player after Dwight Howard. His victory highlighted how the league was evolving—big men needed to be skilled passers and defenders who could operate in space, not just rebound and block shots.

I've always felt that 2013 was something of a perfect storm for Gasol. He was in his physical prime at 28 years old, understood Memphis' defensive system perfectly, and benefited from playing alongside other strong defenders like Tony Allen and Mike Conley. That supporting cast allowed him to focus on his strengths without having to cover for teammates' mistakes constantly. Still, watching him direct traffic and make subtle adjustments throughout games was genuinely special—the kind of defensive mastery that casual fans might miss but that purists absolutely cherish.

In many ways, Gasol's DPOY season represents what I love most about basketball defense: it's as much about intelligence and positioning as raw athleticism. His performance that year demonstrated how a player could dominate games without filling up the stat sheet, influencing outcomes through positioning, communication, and basketball IQ. While flashy defensive plays make highlight reels, Gasol proved that consistently being in the right place creates more value over a full season. That 2013 award wasn't just recognition of one player's excellence—it signaled how our understanding of defensive impact was maturing alongside the analytics revolution in basketball.