Kostas Sloukas advocates for Thomas Walkup as DPOY over Walter Tavares / News - Basketnews.com

Kostas Sloukas expressed the belief that Thomas Walkup deserved the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award over Walter Tavares. Sloukas emphasized Walkup's impact on Olympiacos' success and his ability to trouble opponents, despite not possessing the same size as Tavares.

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeus point guard Kostas Sloukas reacted to EuroLeague's decision to name Real Madrid center Walter Tavares as the best defender for the 2022-23 season.

Thomas Walkup

MIN:25.13PTS:7.67 (51.4%)REB:2.79As:5.59ST:1.77BL:0.13TO:1.87GM:39ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

After the official EuroLeague announcement, Sloukas noted that his teammate Thomas Walkup was a more-deserving candidate for this award due to his contributions and impact on Olympiacos' success.

"With respect to EuroLeague and a great player who has dominated ELB for years, Walter Tavares, in my humble opinion, Thomas Walkup deserved DPOY this season," Sloukas wrote. "Despite lacking size like Walter, he troubled every opponent, contributed immensely, and helped our team clinch 1st place."

Walkup followed Tavares in the voting, as the EuroLeague announced.

Walkup has led the league in steals with 1.8 per game. That number is among the top 10 single-season averages in the league over the last 10 years and the most by an Olympiacos player in over two decades.

Tavares, instead, set a new record for most blocked shots in a EuroLeague season -- 84 and counting.

Cape Verdian center also became the third player to be chosen as the EuroLeague Best Defender three times after Dimitris Diamantidis (6 awards) and Kyle Hines (3).

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