Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert — Utah Jazz
Odds: +225
Defensive Player of the Year is a toss-up right now and there are a few guys on the outside of the top few guys looking in who could make a run at the award, but this really is Rudy Gobert’s race to lose.
Utah’s center has won three of the last four Defensive Player of the Year awards and if he was to win the award for a fourth time this season, Rudy Gobert would be joining elite company.
Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, two of the best defenders in NBA history, are the only two players to win the Defensive Player of the Year award four different times and Gobert has a chance to put his name next to theirs this season.
Rudy Gobert would also become just the second player in NBA history to win the award four times in a five-year span, joining Ben Wallace as the only other player to achieve this feat. This would also mark the second-time in his career Gobert would win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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On the year, Rudy Gobert is averaging a league-high 14.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 2.1 blocks and ranks first in the league in Defensive Rating (min. 300 minutes played).
He may not be leading the league in steals or blocks, but Gobert is still the best when it comes to contesting shots and forcing opponent’s to switch their game plan offensively.
The Utah Jazz currently rank 6th in defensive rating and are one of the best teams in terms of forcing opponents out of the paint.
Rudy Gobert is a large reason why this is and this is one of the main reasons why he is still the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
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Draymond Green and Anthony Davis can also be mentioned in the conversation for this award this season, but right now, it is Gobert’s to lose.
