Victor Wembanyama had the Defensive Player of the Year award locked up until going down with a season-ending injury. Since then, the DPOY award has been wide open. Recently, Draymond Green has emerged as the odds-on favorite after a stellar few weeks and claiming he deserves the award. Green is incredibly versatile and a capable on-ball stopper. However, his defense hasn't been as consistent as other candidates.
In a matter of weeks, Green has surged from a borderline All-Defensive player to a DPOY favorite. While he's an elite defender and had some DPOY moments, including shutting down Giannis Antetokounmpo, there are several players more deserving of the award based on the entirety of the season. Let's dive into some candidates who deserve DPOY over Draymond Green.
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4. Lu Dort
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the league's best defense by a sizable margin. While they are loaded with elite defenders, Lu Dort has been the team's most important defender as an on-ball stopper. Dort posts an exceptional 41.1 defensive field goal percentage while ranking in the 100th percentile for matchup difficulty. Notably, Dort has held Donovan Mitchell to 23.1 percent shooting from the field, Jayson Tatum to 30 percent, and James Harden to 20 percent, the list could go on.
Simply put, there's nobody better than Dort at taking stars out of games, this skill set is incredibly valuable and helps make the Thunder's defense so dangerous. While it's hard for anyone on OKC to win the award because they have so many elite defenders, they at least deserve someone in the top five, and Dort's elite on-ball defense gives him the best chance.
3. Dyson Daniels
Dyson Daniels is having a historic defensive season. The Great Barrier Thief leads the league with 399 total deflections with Kelly Oubre next up at 248, his 3.1 steals per game and 208 total steals also lead the league by a significant margin. Daniels has already shattered Robert Covington's record for most deflections in a season and has the most total steals in 15 years.
In addition to wreaking havoc off-ball, Daniels is a lockdown on-ball defender. Daniels has held Jayson Tatum to 37.5 percent from the field, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 42.1 percent, and Donovan Mitchell to 29.7 percent shooting. At 6-foot-8, Daniels is perfectly equipped to defend both guard and wings. Given his historic season, Daniels has a case to be the eighth guard to win DPOY and the second in the last 25 years. The only things that hurt Daniels' case are the Hawks' 17th-ranked defense and that the Hawks' defense is better with Daniels off the court. Nevertheless, you can't hold these stats against Daniels too much, as his impact on and off the ball is evident. Daniels also has a case to win Most Improved Player, which is an interesting subplot.
2. Jaren Jackson Jr.
The 2022-23 DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr. was the initial favorite to win the award after Wembanyama's injury. However, for unclear reasons, JJJ's DPOY buzz has cooled down. Jackson is the anchor to Memphis' 11th-ranked defense, which has been within the top 10 at various points throughout the season. He has the ideal combination of rim protection and versatility. Impressively, Jackson ranks fourth among big men in defensive field goal percentage at the rim, with a 49.7 DFG percentage. JJJ also has an overall DFG percentage of 42.
Both of these numbers are higher than Draymond's (43.1 overall DFG percentage and 54.1 at the rim. Additionally, Jackson spends 27.2 percent of his time defending opposing guards, holding them to 38.6 percent from the field, which is similar to Green's 27.6 percent time spent defending guards and 39.3 percent from the field. Ultimately, Jackson arguably offers the same versatility as Draymond with better rim protection.
1. Evan Mobley
Much like JJJ, Evan Mobley offers an ideal combination of rim protection and versatility. What gives Mobley the edge is that the Cavaliers' defense ranks eighth in the NBA and has been top-10 throughout the season. Mobley has been one of the league's most consistent and impactful defenders throughout the season.
While some may point to playing next to Jarrett Allen as a detraction for his case, Mobley is undoubtedly the anchor for the Cavs' defense. Furthermore, Mobley covers up for a smaller backcourt and is the safety net for Cleveland's elite defense. The Cavs are having a dominant season, and it could be argued Mobley's two-way contributions make him the most important player on the team. He has been elite at defending stars, holding Nikola Jokić to 45.5 percent from the field, LeBron James to 38.5, Franz Wagner to 20 percent, and JJJ to 22.2 shooting. This ability to take more stars out of games also gives Mobley the edge over Jackson.
Mobley posts a minus-4 net-defensive difference, when he's on the court, the Cavs have the second-best defense in the league. This number is significantly higher than Draymond's minus-1.3 net defensive difference. Mobley ranks fifth in shots contested while posting a 43.7 DFG percentage and 53.6 at the rim. While his DFG percentages are slightly higher than Jackson's, Mobley's increased responsibilities on a dominant Cavs team give him an advantage. Overall, Mobley's elite defense and importance to a historically dominant team make him my pick for DPOY.