NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ladder: Can Anyone Catch Rudy Gobert?

With just a month-and-a-half left in the NBA season, we're hitting crunch time in the Defensive Player of the Year race.

Utah Jazz stalwart Rudy Gobert has won the award in three of the past four seasons and is favored to win it yet again. WynnBET Sportsbook has Gobert listed at -140 to win, but there's a number of players that still have a chance.

With the number of games he's missed due to injury, there's still time for someone to make a late charge and steal the honor. Let's take a look at Gobert and the chasers to see if anyone can catch him.

Rudy Gobert (-140)

Gobert is the rightful favorite. He's averaging an NBA-leading and career-high 14.8 rebounds per game and leads the league in blocks per game with 2.3, as well.

He ranks seventh in defensive win shares and 11th in defensive box plus/minus despite missing 14 games and is the anchor for the Jazz defense, defending more shots at the rim than anyone else in the league.

Utah has had a bit of a down year after being decimated by injuries, but they were catastrophic without Gobert in the lineup and are a contender in the Western Conference with him, so his case is sound.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+400)

Giannis is vying to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award and may have the best advanced analytics case of anyone. An injury to Brook Lopez has forced Giannis to serve as the Bucks' de facto rim protector and he's been dominant.

He's second in the NBA in defensive box plus/minus and 9th in defense win shares, averaging 1.4 blocks and a steal per game while disrupting passing lanes and generally being terrifying for offenses to challenge.

Milwaukee has the NBA's toughest remaining strength of schedule, and if Giannis can lead the Bucks to some marquee wins with stellar defensive highlights, he could take the award if Gobert misses any more time. But it'll be an uphill battle and require his absolute best play against that schedule.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (+700)

Second in the NBA in blocks per game with 2.2, Jaren Jackson Jr. has burst onto the scene as an elite rim protector for one of the league's best teams. Opponents have shot 14.8% worse than average against Jackson at the rim, good for third in the league.

The advanced stats aren't as friendly to him, though, as he's 14th in defense win shares but just 62nd in defense box plus/minus.

But the Grizzlies have the second-easiest remaining schedule of anyone, and with how the Grizzlies are dominating headlines it's not difficult to imagine Jackson Jr. beating up on inferior competition to steal the award. Memphis is 8th in defensive rating on the season but are sixth in their last 15 games. If they continue surging while Gobert misses time and the Bucks struggle, the award is Jackson's to lose.

Draymond Green (+1000)

Draymond would be the clear favorite if he was healthy. The Warriors had the NBA's best defense with him in the lineup by a long-shot, and he still leads the NBA in estimated defensive plus/minus.

But he's missed 27 games and counting, and it's difficult to imagine him overcoming the names above him unless he comes back yesterday. It would require all three guys above him missing extended time and he'd need to come back as soon as possible, and even then it may not be enough.

Can Anyone Catch Gobert?

I think Gobert is going to win the award, but Jaren Jackson Jr. presents intriguing value at +700. With such an easy remaining schedule and possible voter fatigue from Gobert seemingly always winning, voters may want to reward the anchor of the NBA's most surprising and exciting team.

I'll throw a sprinkle on Jackson Jr. to win it, but at this point it's Gobert's award to lose.