'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award remains all but locked up. However, one rookie center is making a late-season push to challenge for the award behind his mesmerizing nightly defensive stat lines.
Meanwhile, three other big men are jockeying for a chance to finish among the top three finalists for the award. On that note, here are the five leading DPOY candidates after Week 19:
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) rankings after Week 19
#5 Bam Adebayo
Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo isn’t as elite of a rim protector as the players ahead of him in the DPOY race. However, his defensive versatility on the league’s eighth-best defensive team (112.6 defensive rating) gives him an outside shot at being named a finalist for the award.
The Heat’s (34-26, seventh in the Eastern Conference) defensive rating improves to 110.0 with Adebayo on the floor, which would rank second in the league. Meanwhile, he’s holding opposing players to just 44.4% shooting (-4.9%) and 57.6% shooting from within six feet of the rim (-6.3%).
Additionally, Adebayo ranks 10th in rebounds per game (10.4 rpg) while averaging a combined 2.0 steals and blocks per game through 50 games.
#4 Jarrett Allen
As the centerpiece of the NBA’s third-ranked defense (110.6 defensive rating), Cleveland Cavaliers star center Jarrett Allen remains a rock-solid DPOY contender.
The Cavaliers’ (39-21, third in the East) defensive rating improves to 109.1 with Allen on the court, which would rank second. Meanwhile, he’s limiting opponents to just 56.3% shooting from within six feet (-7.7%).
The one-time All-Star is doing so while contesting the league’s eighth-most 2-pointers (8.0) and ninth-most shots per game (10.2). Additionally, Allen is ninth in rebounds (10.5 rpg) while averaging a combined 1.9 steals and blocks through 55 games.
#3 Chet Holmgren
Once the top rookie in the DPOY race, OKC Thunder big man Chet Holmgren has been surpassed by his premier rookie rival. Nonetheless, he remains on the verge of becoming a DPOY finalist.
The Thunder (42-18, first in the Western Conference) boast the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating (111.4). That improves to 110.1 with Holmgren on the floor, which would rank second.
Opponents are shooting just 45.4% (-5.0%) and 52.9% from within six feet (-11.3%) against the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, he’s contesting the second-most 2s (10.8) and second-most shots per game (12.9). That has allowed him to rank fourth in blocks (2.6 bpg) through 60 games.
#2 Victor Wembanyama
San Antonio Spurs rookie center Victor Wembanyama was more-or-less written off as a serious DPOY threat midway through the season. That was primarily due to his team’s abysmal record (13-48, 15th in the West), but the 20-year-old has been making pundits rethink in recent weeks.
While the Spurs rank 24th in defensive rating (117.3), their defensive rating improves to 112.1 with Wembanyama on the court, which would rank sixth. Meanwhile, when he sits, they have the equivalent of the league’s worst defensive rating (120.0).
The French phenom is holding opposing players to just 46.1% shooting (-4.7%) and 54.6% shooting from within six feet (-9.8%). Furthermore, he ranks No. 1 in blocks (3.4 bpg), 12th in rebounds (10.2 rpg) and tied for 12th in steals (1.3 spg) through 55 games. He's also in a three-way tie for sixth in deflections (3.0 dpg).
The 2023 No. 1 pick has taken his rim protection to the next level lately as well, amassing a whopping 43 blocks over his last eight games.
It remains unlikely that Wembanyama will win the DPOY playing for a 15 seed, but he's cementing his case for being named a finalist for the award.
#1 Rudy Gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves (42-19, second in the Western Conference) continue to gain separation atop the NBA’s defensive rating leaderboard (107.8). Meanwhile, star center Rudy Gobert remains the anchor of their elite defense, as the team’s defensive rating improves to 106.1 with him on the floor.
The three-time DPOY is holding opposing players to just 42.8% shooting (-6.9%) and 48.1% shooting from within six feet (-15.1%). Meanwhile, he’s third in the league in contested 2s (9.6) and tied for fifth in contested shots per game (11.3).
Moreover, Gobert ranks second in rebounds (12.8 rpg) and seventh in blocks (2.1 bpg) through 59 games.
The three-time All-Star’s latest DPOY odds on FanDuel sit at -800, a slight shift from his -700 odds last week. Nonetheless, he remains the overwhelming favorite to secure the award for a record-tying fourth time.
For last week’s DPOY rankings, click here.
Guess the Lakers players!
