Kyle Hines wins the EuroLeague's Best Defender award for the third time / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Kyle Hines has been chosen as the EuroLeague Best Defender for the third time in his career.

Kyle Hines

Team:AX Armani Exchange MilanPosition:CAge:35Height:198 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The AX Armani Exchange Milan center was voted such by Turkish Airlines EuroLeague head coaches. Hines anchored the best defensive team in the competition, as Milan allowed a league-low 71.9 points per game. At age 35, Hines is also the oldest player to receive the award.

His overall defensive activity impressed EuroLeague head coaches, who agreed about how difficult it is to score against Milan when Hines is on the floor. Hines previously won the EuroLeague Best Defender award with CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2018.

The first of this season's honorees was announced Monday when Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul was confirmed as the winner of this season's Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. The identity of the EuroLeague Rising Star will be revealed on Wednesday, followed by the All-EuroLeague teams on Thursday and Friday.

The winners of the EuroLeague MVP award and - for the first time - the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year Trophy will be revealed at the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four Awards Ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia. The Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year will be announced in the summer.

Two-time EuroLeague Best Defender Walter Tavares of Real Madrid followed Hines in the voting. Nick Calathes of FC Barcelona, Pierria Henry of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, and another former EuroLeague Best Defender, Bryant Dunston of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, were third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Among others receiving votes were Nick Weiler-Babb of FC Bayern Munich, Kostas Papanikolaou and Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus, Nicolo Melli of Milan, Ben Lammers of ALBA Berlin and Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens.

Kyle Hines

MIN:23.81PTS:7.97 (63.77%)REB:5.28As:1.75ST:0.72BL:0.67TO:1.22GM:36ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

This season, Hines averaged 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in less than 24 minutes per night. He blocked 3 shots three times - against Olympiacos, CSKA, and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade.

Hines helped Milan to rank third in two-point shooting percentage allowed (52.0% FG) and third from beyond the arc (33.1% 3FG). Despite those many missed shots, just three teams allowed fewer offensive rebounds (8.9 orpg.) than Milan. Opponents only had 1.15 assists per turnover against Milan.

Hines joined Milan in 2020 and helped the club advance to the Final Four - his ninth consecutive appearance - for the first time since 1992. Hines was chosen to the EuroLeague's 2010–20 All-Decade Team.

Hines becomes the second player to be chosen as EuroLeague Best Defender three times. The first was Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos Athens (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), who won it six times. Dunston (2014 and 2015) received the award in consecutive seasons with Olympiacos in 2014 and 2015 and Tavares was chosen Best Defender with Real in 2019 and 2021.

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