NBA Awards Watch: The Budenholzer-Kerr conundrum

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors – There is a segment of NBA pundits that simply won’t acknowledge Green as a dominant defender. Yes, they’ll refer to him in glowing terms based on his diverse abilities on that end, but without the dominant “traditional” stats of a shot-blocker, Green is seen as only a valuable role player by some. However, his defensive metrics are off the charts as he leads the NBA in both defensive rating and defensive win shares, and the Warriors are 15.6 points per 100 possessions better when he takes the floor, in large part because of his defensive wizardry. It helps to be the durable anchor of the best defense in the league, but Green is special on his own accord.
2. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies – Tony Allen is fourth in the league in steals despite playing 25.9 minutes per game. In that vein, there are several blurbs that can outline Allen’s defensive dominance, but he has taken things to a different level on that end in recent days, effectively changing the game with his effective recklessness. Memphis goes from the best defensive team in the league when he plays (97.7 points allowed per 100) to one of the worst when he doesn’t (106.3 points allowed per 100), and he is the gold standard for ball-hounding, even at the age of 33.
3. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz – Gobert continues to be the best rim-protector in the league, allowing just 39% shooting from opponents in that area of the court, and with more and more playing time, his talents have a chance to shine. He is averaging 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes, and that is coming with the fact that opponents are visibly attempting to avoid him at all costs. Utah’s team defense is a knock against him on the whole, but the Jazz are more than 8 points per 100 possessions better on that end when he plays, and he is a game-changer with his length and explosion.

Next: Rookie of the Year