CSKA Moscow’s Andrei Kirilenko has been named the 2011/12 Euroleague Defensive Player of the Year, voted by the league’s head coaches.
After deciding to remain in his native Russia after the NBA Lockout, the forward has led his side to a Final Four appearance in Istanbul averaging 14 points a game.
But it’s on the defensive end where Kirilenko has done his damage. He leads the Euroleague with 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a contest. He is second in steals with 1.53 takes. He also leads the Euroleague in performance index ratings with an average of 24.1 per game.
Kirilenko joins fellow team-mate Viktor Khryapa as CSKA’s Euroleague defensive award winner in the eight years it has existed.
The other vote-getters for this season, were confirmed as six-time winner Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos, David Moss of Montepaschi Siena, Victor Sada of Barcelona and Richard Hendrix of Maccabi Electra.
The Russian international will receive his award at the Efes Pilsener Euroleague awards ceremony at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul on July 12th.
