The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Award is an individual accolade that the NBA administers for the player who displayed outstanding defense skills and plays throughout the season. The defensive plays include protecting the rim mostly via steals, blocks, and court presence.
Predominantly, the basketball athletes who play the center position bag this prestigious award because of their innate physical strength, especially in the post area.
This award is significant in the league because it demonstrates the importance of the defensive aspect in basketball. Mostly, the shooters or offensive players get the most recognition from the press and audience, but with the DPOY award, the NBA acknowledges that with no defensive basketball, the sport would be dull and uninteresting.
After all, there’s a saying in sports that goes, “offense wins games, defense wins championships.”
Now that the NBA is getting more striking each match, let’s find out who are the front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year Award:
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Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
This three-time DPOY awardee is the most consistent defensive player in the league. His paint defense is the reason why Utah Jazz is one of the leading teams in the Western Conference this season. You can see it through their opponents’ low points per game and field goal percentage — added to the fact that Jazz always leads the blocks per game department. You call it. These are all part of Gobert’s defense operation.
The main issue here would be Gobert’s health. If he continues to play several matches for the Jazz without any injuries, his chances of winning the DPOY award for the fourth time seems foreseeable.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
If there’s one person who can beat the steadiest defensive NBA player, it’s the ‘Greek Freak.’ This Finals MVP stopped Gobert from getting his third consecutive DPOY win in the NBA 2020-2021 season. Antetokounmpo is showing no signs of stoppage since his wondrous run last year.
Momentum is truly his best friend. But with this breakthrough, comes a great challenge. With the departure of P.J. Tucker, a defense specialist, this young gun will have a lot on his plate. The big question here is: will he focus more on developing his offense (with him being an MVP caliber) or will he carry the weight of the defensive aspect of his team, the Milwaukee Bucks?
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Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
To improve the LA Lakers’ defense, the coaching department has decided to put ‘The Brow’ in the center position this season. Coaches have been seeing Davis’ potential as a center since last year because he’s considered as an elite rim protector.
With the ever-scoring machine, LeBron James, on his side, the Lakers will now have a high chance of forming a balance between the offensive and defensive line. This would be a great deal for Davis to secure his spot in the NBA Greats for the years to come.
Now that the NBA is in the middle of the regular season, it’s exciting to watch how these players perform for their teams. Athletes and coaches are now gelling with each other, forming more analytical basketball strategies which could result in wins.
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