NBA Defensive Player of the Year featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges and more: March 31st, 2022 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda

The NBA Defensive Player of the Year race is picking up steam as we head into the final two weeks of the 2021-22 NBA regular season.

All the teams are playing at their best in a bid to finish the season with the best standing possible. The playoff bracket is nowhere close to being set and most of the positions are still up for grabs.

Marcus Smart has raised a lot of DPOY chatter this season but hasn't been included in the official conversation. He will be the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton did so in 1996.

Draymond Green is practically out of the race as the Golden State Warriors are in the midst of a terrible slump. They have lost six of their last seven games and are steadily dropping in the West. Green has also missed way too many games due to injury and it is practically impossible for him to get the required number of votes.

On that note, let's take a look at the top 5 of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Power Rankings by Sportskeeda.

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#5 Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat at the AT&T Center in Texas

Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 1st (↓4)

Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 1; Games lost - 3

Overall: Games played - 51; Games won - 31; Games lost - 20

Last Week: PPG - 19.5, APG - 2.0, RPG - 9.8

Overall: PPG - 19.1, APG - 3.4, RPG - 10.2

Last Week: FG% - 63.8%, SPG - 1.3, BPG - 1.0

Overall: FG% - 55.3%, SPG - 1.5, BPG - 0.8.

Bam Adebayo made an entrance in our power rankings last week but has played just 51 games this season. He will have played the second-least number of games ever by a DPOY if he wins the award this year.

Adebayo has certainly earned his nomination, but his case for becoming the NBA DPOY has been very shaky. Moreover, he is not the sole anchor responsible for the Miami Heat's incredible defense as the team is filled with great defenders.

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#4 Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz

Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 2nd (↓2)

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 0; Games lost - 3

Overall: Games played - 60; Games won - 38; Games lost - 22

Last Week: PPG - 11.3, APG - 1.0, RPG - 15.3

Overall: PPG - 15.2, APG - 1.1, RPG - 14.6

Last Week: SPG - 1.0, BLK - 1.3, FG% - 65.0%

Overall: SPG - 0.7, BLK - 2.2, FG% - 71.0%.

The Utah Jazz have lost six of their last nine games, including their last five in a row. They also blew a 25-point lead against the LA Clippers in their most recent fixture.

Consequently, Rudy Gobert's DPOY stock is falling. He has at times been a liability late in games and often failed to guard the perimeter adequately against a small-ball lineup. Voter fatigue is also a major concern for him and Gobert has been missing a lot of games lately, which will further hamper his NBA DPOY case.

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#3 Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies

Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - N/A

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0

Overall: Games played - 74; Games won - 51; Games lost - 23

Last Week: PPG - 16.3, APG - 1.0, RPG - 4.3

Overall: PPG - 16.4, APG - 1.1, RPG - 5.8

Last Week: FG% - 40.0%, BPG - 2.7, FT% - 100%

Overall: FG% - 41.8%, BPG - 2.3, FT% - 81.9%.

Many players, including Draymond Green, have given their votes for the NBA DPOY to Jaren Jackson Jr. He is currently leading the league in blocks and has anchored the NBA's fourth-best defensive team incredibly well.

Jackson Jr. can switch multiple positions and also protect the rim in the paint. He has played 74 games this season, which is higher than almost every other candidate in the race except Mikal Bridges.

Jackson Jr. is leading the league in blocks by some distance, having gone a whopping 33 blocks ahead of Robert Williams III in second place.

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#2 Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns

Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 4th (↑2)

Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0

Overall: Games played - 75; Games won - 61; Games lost - 14

Last Week: PPG - 16.3, APG - 2.0, RPG - 4.0

Overall: PPG - 14.2, APG - 2.3, RPG - 4.3

Last Week: FG% - 61.3%, STL - 0.7, FT% - 62.5%

Overall: FG% - 53.2%, STL - 1.2, FT% - 82.9%.

Mikal Bridges is the best defender on the best team in the league and his NBA DPOY candidacy doesn't lie merely in statistics such as steals and blocks. He is constantly guarding the opposition's best players, such as Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic, and has produced off-shooting nights from them as well.

Bridges is a consistent presence in the passing lanes, trying to deflect shots, and is often in the right place at the right time. The Suns love switching on defense and the 25-year-old makes a lot of that possible with his versatility.

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#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks

Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - 3rd (↑2)

Last Week: Games played - 2; Games won - 1; Games lost - 1

Overall: Games played - 62; Games won - 41; Games lost - 21

Last Week: PPG - 35.0, APG - 5.0, RPG - 12.5

Overall: PPG - 29.9, APG - 5.8, RPG - 11.6

Last Week: FG% - 61.4%, BPG - 3.5, FT% - 78.3%

Overall: FG% - 55.2%, BPG - 1.5, FT% - 72.2%.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only candidate on this list who is averaging over 30 points per game this season. He is arguably better than he was when he won his MVP awards, but voter fatigue might result in him not getting his due this season.

Antetokounmpo averaged 3.5 blocks per game this week to help the Milwaukee Bucks up to second in the East, just a game behind the top seed. However, the Bucks, as a team, don't have a very good defensive rating.

That, combined with voter fatigue, could see Antetokounmpo slip down in the NBA DPOY ladder by the end of the season.

Poll : Will Giannis Antetokounmpo win his second DPOY trophy?

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