Rudy Gobert Overtakes Draymond Green as Defensive Player of the Year Favorite
Draymond Green’s back injury finally caught up to him.
Green has missed 20 of the last 21 games, but only played in seven seconds in the game he did play in. He had been the favorite at +100 to win Defensive Player of the Year, but the oddsmakers have finally seen him on the sidelines for too long.
Rudy Gobert is now the favorite to win the award. Gobert has won three of the last four awards, so it makes sense why his name would always be in the conversation. However, it is hypocritical – or ironic at the least – that Gobert would move to the front with all the games he’s missed this year.
Gobert has missed 14 of the last 20 games, which should also discount him a little from being at the top of the odds list. Gobert is a slight favorite now at +175. The top 5 for the award currently looks like this.
- Rudy Gobert: +175
- Draymond Green: +200
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: +450
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: +700
- Mikal Bridges: +2000
In Gobert’s defense, he still is Rudy Gobert. He’s leading the league in rebounding, at almost 15 rebounds per game, and is averaging over 2 blocks per game. He’s dominant on that side of the floor and it was clear how much the Jazz miss him when he’s not there.
As for the three candidates below them, it will be very hard to make up that deficit in the last 20-something games of the season.
Gobert, off of availability and reputation alone, may very well end this season being the third player in NBA history to win DPOY four times.