Toumani Camara is severely overlooked in Defensive Player of the Year race

The NBA recently announced that Portland Trail Blazers' Toumani Camara and Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley were named the Defensive Players of the Month for their respective conferences.

Camara is the focal point of an improved Blazers' defense and a major contributor to their fourth-best defensive rating in February. Last month, he drew four more charges, giving him a commanding lead for the season with 25, seven more than the next closest players (Jalen Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr.).

Beyond his own numbers, Camara's impact on winning is seen in how much he disrupts opposing stars. He consistently makes life difficult for the best players on opposing teams, regardless of position. Here are a few notable players who were consumed by "The Shadow" in February, courtesy of Blazers beat reporter Casey Holdahl.

The case for Toumani Camara to be in the DPOY conversation

Mobley has emerged as the front-runner for the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award now that Victor Wembanyama is unfortunately out of the running due to a season-ending blood clot that will prevent him from reaching the 65-game minimum required for award eligibility. Other candidates include Memphis big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. Camara's name isn't even in the mix, but it should be.

Blazers analytics insider Tom Haberstroh had an in-depth piece analyzing how Camara measures up to the league's elite defenders. He highlighted Camara's total defensive stops, a stat combining drawn charges, blocks, steals, and stops. Camara is ahead of the best defensive bigs in the league, like Wembanyama, Mobley, and Jackson. He ranks second in the league (180), only behind Daniels (197).

Haberstroh also notes how many peers praise Camara's defensive impact. Trey Murphy III called Camara one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA, JJ Redick referred to him as a banshee, Damian Lillard said he's one of the league's top perimeter defenders -- the list goes on.

Camara isn't a household name to casual fans, but he's highly respected inside the NBA. Yet he is nowhere near the DPOY race. It's historically an award for big men; we get it. But Daniels is rightfully in the conversation as a non-big, and Camara should be, too.

Camara will inevitably jump into the discussion in the coming seasons after the Blazers win more and have more nationally televised games. This Defensive Player of the Month is just the beginning. Camara is already a top-five defender, and it's time the DPOY conversation reflects that.