How the Western Conference can steal the DPOY award from Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside is the only Eastern Conference player listed on the betting site bovada.lv with a chance to win the the Defensive Player Of the Year Award.

• Draymond Green (GSW) +160
• Kawhi Leonard (SAN) +300
• Rudy Gobert (UTA) +325
• Hassan Whiteside (MIA) +900
• Anthony Davis (NOP) +1000
• Paul George (OKC) +1600

Whiteside is the favorite to repeat as rebounding leader. This time though Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons is a top-six pick.

• Hassan Whiteside (MIA)+240
• Andre Drummond (DET)+250
• DeAndre Jordan (LAC)+260
• Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)+650
• Rudy Gobert (UTA)+800
• Anthony Davis (NOP)+1800

Again Western Conference players dominate the favorites. Among them Gobert and Whiteside are the only players not on an All-Star team.

Whiteside holds the distinction of being only one of eight players in NBA history to win both a rebounding and blocks title, according to a Toronto Star article.

"Elite company: Heat centre Hassan Whiteside won the NBA’s blocked-shot title two seasons ago, and was the rebounding champion last season. He’s the eighth big man to lead the league in both categories at least once, joining Hall of Famers Bill Walton, David Robinson, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, plus Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard."

None of the DPOY candidates are one the elite eight, yet Hassan remains a long shot to capture the trophy. For all that Whiteside has accomplished in Miami, contemporaries give him little credit. Is it time for his Heat teammates to win an Eastern Conference title for Hassan?