Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)
Jamie’s pick: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Rudy Gobert has won DPOY the last two seasons and will once again be anchoring a dominant Utah defense.
Joel Embiid will be in the same position in Philly if he can play enough games.
However, I’m picking AD because of the narrative factor and because I expect him and the Lakers to surprise a lot of people with how good they are on defense.
We already know that when fully engaged, there may not be a better and more versatile defender in basketball than Davis. He’s an elite shot-blocker and rim protector. He has the size and strength to defend centers but also the agility and mobility to step out on to the perimeter. This makes him a nightmare defending the pick and rolls also.
And given the criticism AD has received over the past year, he’s going to be extra motivated to showcase his full abilities this year. This means we should expect a consistently engaged Anthony Davis on both ends of the court which could actually mean he’s in line for more than just the DPOY award…
Other guys who will be in the running and what it will take for them to win DPOY:
- Rudy Gobert – He continues to be the most feared rim protector and interior presence that we have seen in quite some time in the NBA.
- Joel Embiid – Plays 70+ games and anchors a top-3 defense in the league.
- Draymond Green – Plays with an extra edge for the depleted Warriors next season and helps them outperform everybody’s expectations.
- Kawhi Leonard or Paul George – One of them establishes himself as the de facto premier perimeter defender in the league and helps the Clippers be the best defensive squad in basketball.