NBA: Way-too-early 2022-23 pre-season individual awards predictions

NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

My pick for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award is a player that probably should’ve won the award last season – Bam Adebayo. With the injury to Robert Williams, who may end up being Bam’s biggest competition for the award, I believe Bam will have the early leg up.

For as good as Rudy Gobert is, who has won the award numerous times over the last few seasons, he simply can’t defend the type of players that both Bam and Williams have shown the capability of doing.

Because of that, I firmly believe that this award this season will ultimately come down to one of these players. I believe voters will realize they got it wrong last season (with all due respect to Marcus Smart) and give Bam the nod this season.