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Our power rankings battle for the NBA Defensive-Player-of-the-Year award has been an enthralling journey and the race for the award will go right down to the wire. Right now, it is neck-and-neck between Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Out of the players who have racked up over 50 appearances this season, both Gobert and Simmons rank in the top 10% for defensive rating. While having a DPOY on a team rarely translates into postseason success in the NBA, things might pan out differently this season. Both players have helped their teams rank in the NBA's top-three defenses, proving their worth to their respective franchises.
2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year - Latest Power Rankings
The coveted NBA-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year award has often been dominated by frontcourt players who can block and steal the ball and who can also guard multiple positions. This season has been no different and the current voting outlook is set to pitch Ben Simmons' dynamic all-round play against Rudy Gobert's towering rim dominance.
Both have had stellar campaigns and will be vital to their side's postseason success. Our NBA-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year power rankings have only altered a little this week, with Myles Turner's injury forcing him out of the top 5. Let's dive into how the rest of our list stacks up with less than a fortnight of the regular season remaining.
#5 Matisse Thybulle
MP - 20.1, RPG - 1.9, BPG - 1.1, SPG - 1.6, DWS - 2.6, DBPM - 4.2
Previous NBA DPOY Power Ranking - N/A.
Matisse Thybulle has been an outside contender for the NBA-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year award all season, even though has averaged considerably fewer minutes than the rest of our top 5.
Nevertheless, the 76ers guard's defensive field-goal percentage of 37.6% is the league's best. He also ranks 11th for defensive rating and seventh for steals per game, which is staggering considering he only averages 20 minutes a night. He has the best defensive box +/- of any NBA player and has been crucial to maintaining Philly's defensive efficiency while their second unit is on the floor.
He is certainly putting in the groundwork to become a future contender for the NBA-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year title.
#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo
MP - 33.2, RPG - 11.1, BPG - 1.3, SPG - 1.2, DWS - 3.2, DBPM - 2.7
Previous NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 4th (-).
Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the praise of fellow superstar Kevin Durant last week. The Greek has been prolific on the offensive end but is in essence a towering defensive presence. Durant spoke about how much he enjoys matching up against the best defenders in the league. It is easy to forget that Antetokounmpo won the award last week and hasn't been far off the top for the entirety of this campaign.
His defensive rating has fallen slightly this year, though it still sits at an impressive 106.3. Were the rest of his teammates to defend at the same standard, the Milwaukee Bucks would have the best defense in the league. He ranks fourth for defensive rebounds with 9.5 per game and has the second-best defensive box +/- on our list.
#3 Bam Adebayo
MP - 33.5, RPG - 9.1, BPG - 1.0, SPG - 1.2, DWS - 3.0, DBPM - 1.8.
Previous NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 3rd (-).
Bam Adebayo is probably the most underrated member of our power rankings for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Although he is yet to crack the top3 and probably won't this time, he has been the Miami Heat's anchor all year. He ranks third overall for defensive real plus-minus, behind only Rudy Gobert and Clint Capella, and is the Heat's spark on that side of the court.
Adebayo has a great mix of defensive attributes that voters for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year will consider in his candidacy. Like Ben Simmons, he can guard any player on the perimeter but can also switch inside to be a rim protector, like Rudy Gobert, and is unafraid of smaller guards dribbling in front of him.
#2 Ben Simmons
MP - 32.6, RPG - 7.4, BPG - 0.6, SPG - 1.7, DWS - 3.1, DBPM - 2.0.
Previous NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 2nd (-)
Ben Simmons will certainly feel he is worthy of being the NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season as he is one of the few players that can truly guard one through five. Due to his size and athleticism, Simmons is one of the most versatile defenders in the league and has been one of the primary forces behind their second-placed defensive efficiency.
When he is on the court, the Philadelphia 76ers have a record of 39-14. However, when Simmons is sidelined, their record falls to 5-7. He has a +/- of 7.5 when he plays, whereas when he doesn't Philly concedes 3.7 more points than normal per 100 possessions.
#1 Rudy Gobert
MP - 30.9, RPG - 13.4, BPG - 2.8, SPG - 0.6, DWS - 4.7, DBPM - 2.6
Previous NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 1st (-).
Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons have battled continuously this season for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and it looks like their contest will come down to the wire. The Utah Jazz center retains his position atop our power rankings since his numbers for the campaign were better than Simmons'.
The Frenchman leads the league in defensive win share, while for players that have appeared in over 50 games, he ranks third for defensive rating (101.4) and top for defensive rebounds (10.1).
At no point has Gobert's rim deterrence been more on show than against the San Antonio Spurs this week. In a 3-on-1 fastbreak, the 28-year-old stopped all three from attacking the basket, scared that they would have their shot blocked. Over his last ten games, Gobert has averaged 3.1 blocks per night.
