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The 2023 NBA DPOTY race remains a battle of the big men as teams gear up for the season's stretch run. Meanwhile, the race is still wide open with the top three contenders all closely vying for the No. 1 spot.
On that note, here’s this month’s DPOTY ladder.
No. 5: Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
Previous month’s DPOTY ranking: 5th (-)
Games played: 54 Games won: 35 Games lost: 19
Cleveland Cavaliers star big man Jarrett Allen continues to play a big role in the Cavs’ top-ranked team defensive rating (109.3). That number improves to 108.4 when Allen is on the court.
Allen is holding opposing players to just 46.2% shooting (-3.4%) and 55.9% shooting from within six feet of the rim (-8.5%). He's also averaging 9.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
No. 4: Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
Previous month’s DPOTY ranking: 3rd (↓1)
Games played: 54 Games won: 30 Games lost: 24
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has suddenly gone from the top rim protector on a contender to the top rim protector on a retooling team. That comes as the Nets traded away stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving ahead of the trade deadline. Nonetheless, Claxton remains one of the best interior defenders in the league.
He's holding opposing players to just 42.9% shooting (-6.1%) and 53.0% shooting from within six feet of the rim (-10.7%). Moreover, Claxton is second in the league in blocks per game (2.6 BPG) while also averaging 9.0 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game.
Claxton's DPOTY chances are only hurt by Brooklyn’s 14th-ranked team defensive rating (113.4). However, that number improves to 111.3 when Claxton is on the floor.
No. 3: Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
Previous month’s DPOTY ranking: 4th (↑1)
Games played: 57 Games won: 40 Games lost: 17
Milwaukee Bucks veteran big man Brook Lopez remains an elite rim protector, especially at the age of 34. He also continues to play a big part in Milwaukee’s second-ranked team defensive rating (109.6), which improves to 106.9 when he's on the court.
Lopez is holding opponents to just 47.2% shooting (-3.2%) and 53.7% shooting from within six feet of the rim (-11.3%). He also ranks third in the NBA in blocks per game (2.4BPG) to go along with averages of 6.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals per game.
No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Previous month’s DPOTY ranking: 2nd (-)
Games played: 47 Games won: 35 Games lost: 12
As crucial as Brook Lopez is to the Milwaukee Bucks’ team defense, Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is still arguably more important. Milwaukee’s second-ranked team defensive rating of 109.6 improves to 106.6 when Antetokounmpo is on the floor and falls to a team-worst 109.9 when he sits.
Antetokounmpo is holding opponents to just 41.3% shooting (-7.2%) and 48.4% shooting from within six feet of the rim (-16.6%). He's also averaging 12.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He may not have the best traditional defensive stats, but the advanced stats are definitely on his side.
No. 1: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Previous month’s DPOTY ranking: 1st (-)
Games played: 40 Games won: 25 Games lost: 15
Having now played 40 games following his early season injury recovery, Memphis Grizzlies All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has a good case to win the DPOTY, which continues to grow.
Jackson has played a huge role in the Grizzlies’ third-ranked team defensive rating (109.8). That number improves to a team-best 103.2 when Jackson is on the court and drops to a team-worst 111.9 with him on the bench.
Jackson is holding opponents to just 43.9% shooting (-5.0%) and 48.6% from within six feet of the rim (-15.6%). Meanwhile, he's still leading the league in blocks per game at a whopping 3.3 BPG and averaging 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
All things considered, Jackson has the right mix of traditional stats and advanced stats that should make him the DPOTY frontrunner moving forward.
Guess the Lakers players!
