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For NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the usual suspects are mentioned across the league consistently more than players just under the radar and deserving of the award. In the NBA, many are capable of winning DPOY, yet because they do everything else so masterfully they are often overlooked for their defensive prowess. These versatile players are the pieces teams need to complete the mission of winning an NBA championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons won't be mentioned here. Yet to round out the growing fan and media perspective on defense, here are the underrated five players who are mentioned.
#5 Draymond Green is an underrated NBA defender?
Surprised to see the 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year on this list? You shouldn't be. While Draymond Green isn't considered to still be the best defender in the NBA, his three seasons in the top 20 of rebounding and steals give an indication that as long as Draymond is playing, he will be seen as an above-average defender. He also averages more than a steal and a block a game, and as active as the Golden State Warriors are on defense, Draymond is the anchor (defensive rating of 106.5) that sets it all in motion.
The Warriors were third against the NBA in field goal percentage, and 5th in the NBA in defensive rating in 2021. Draymond Green was an NBA DPOY finalist, and even at this advanced age, Draymond Green is a true defender. It's not about steals and blocked shots, it's yet more about position and desire with Draymond. He will play between passers and taller defenders to make the post pass more difficult - which eats up the shot clock. When watching Golden State Warriors games, it is quickly figured that Draymond Green's attention and priority to defense is almost an intimidation factor for opponents.
#4 Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
It is widely known that Jrue Holiday is one of the best on-ball defenders at his positon in the NBA. His defense of future Hall of Famer Chris Paul after Game 1 in the NBA Finals is a big reason the Milwaukee Bucks are NBA champions. Chris Paul was dominating PJ Tucker. Despite Jrue Holiday holding Devin Booker to 27 points on 26 shots, Mike Budenholzer made the adjustment and switched Jrue Holiday for PJ Tucker as Chris Paul's primary defender. This changed the pace and rhythm of the Phoenix Suns' offense and made every possession more important. Important as Jrue Holiday picked up Chris Paul earlier on the floor to throw off the offensive rhythm.
CP3 is 36, and having Jrue Holiday face guard him the entire game wore the Suns' point guard down. Paul also gave the ball up to teammates more as a result of Holiday's defense - neutralizing Chris Paul's increased playoff usage rate - and delegated the responsibility to score on those teammates. This season, look for a pronounced narrative of Jrue Holiday's defense, and that narrative will push him to an even higher defensive mindset. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the NBA Finals MVP, yet it can be said that Jrue Holiday was the defensive catalyst that took the Bucks to the chip.
#3 Jimmy Butler is an underrated NBA defender
In the intro, I spoke of NBA players being so versatile in their on-court play, they are underrated defensively. Jimmy Butler is a defender that will not allow an offensive player to score on him just because he doesn't want to provide the effort on that particular play. NBA fans will never see that from Jimmy Butler - who would consider it an affront to his soul to give up easy baskets. He has a ridiculous defensive rating of 91.7 to begin the 2021-22 season, and a more realistic rating of 108.1 from last season will probably define Butler defensively over the course of the year. Jimmy Butler's desire to shut the opponent down is a big part of how he plays defense on the way to achieving a team victory. It's a disrespect to allow a player to score on him, and that is a major reason why the Miami Heat will be an elite defensive team this season considering their defensive makeup at every position.
#2 Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns
Rising fast in the NBA, Mikal Bridges simply guards whoever is out on the perimeter. He is the plug-and-play defender that Monty Williams relies on now and will rely on for the next decade to disrupt the opposing offense. Bridges had a defensive rating of 111.7 last season, and as he matures, Mikal Bridges will no longer be seen as an underrated defender in the NBA. He is a player the league is noticing as one of the next stars to make a defensive impact, and any deficiencies with the Phoenix Suns' defense, Mikal Bridges, will be there for the rescue.
He is truly a two-way specialist who fights through screens to set the tone and chew valuable seconds off the opposing shot clock. As the NBA balances out defensively, Mikal Bridges will be one of the players that defines a new era of on-the-ball defense, and any team he is on will be much higher in team defensive rating than they were without him.
#1 Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia 76ers
When researching Ben Simmons' defensive stats from last season, I was quickly alerted that Matisse Thybulle was right there with the enigmatic Simmons defensively. Watching Philadelphia 76ers games, what is noticeable is how Matisse Thybulle chases down blocks, chases down ball handlers who think they have driven past Thybulle, and how his 6'11" wing span is a problem for offenses. Daryl Morey has stated that he's not giving up Ben Simmons for role players in any trade scenario. It is my suspicion that the Philadelphia 76ers fully understand that having Ben Simmons (when he plays), Joel Embiid, a plus defender in Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle is a distinct advantage. It's an advantage in a three-point shooting NBA inexplicably unfocused on individual and team defense as it should.
Mattise Thybulle is another defender who can guard multiple positions, and that the Brooklyn Nets are in the same division as Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant. Thybulle becomes invaluable to the Philadelphia 76ers' future. The 88.5 defensive rating after one game this season will obviously rise to more of a true rating similar to last season of 103.1, yet as the NBA fanbase focuses on the Philadelphia 76ers, what will be evident is that Matisse Thybulle is on his way to becoming a historical defender in the NBA. With increased minutes, look for Thybulle to potentially become a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2021-22.
Guess the Lakers players!
