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| Kyle Hines is the 2021-22 EuroLeague Best Defender |
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Kyle Hines has been chosen as the EuroLeague Best Defender for the third time in his career.
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. He was seemingly everywhere, switching on pick-and-rolls, changing shots, reading passing lanes and using his physicality to intimidate opponents in the paint. 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 Best Defender Trophy is one of several end-of-season awards to honor the best players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 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.
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 - Zenit St Petersburg, Real and Bayern - allowed fewer offensive rebounds (8.9 orpg.) than Milan. Opponents only had 1.15 assists per turnover against Milan. Only UNICS Kazan (1.01) had better numbers.
Hines started his professional basketball career with Veroli Basket in Italy. He made his EuroLeague debut with Brose Bamberg during the 2010-11 season and helped the team to the German League and Cup double. After that, Hines joined Olympiacos, where he captured back-to-back continental crowns with the Reds in 2012 and 2013 and lifted the Greek League trophy in 2013. Hines won two more EuroLeague titles with CSKA in 2016 and 2020 and helped the club reach six consecutive Final Fours and win six straight VTB League crowns. 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. In addition to the aforementioned winners, CSKA players Victor Khryapa and Andrei Kirilenko captured the award in 2010 and 2012, respectively, Stephane Lasme was the 2013 winner with Panathinaikos and Adam Hanga took the trophy in 2017 with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.
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