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Despite the NBA season getting curtailed in March and shortened to its current format, the season-ending awards will still be handed out to the players in a normal fashion. Rudy Gobert was the winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award in both the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 seasons. Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo finished second in those seasons respectively, while Anthony Davis and Paul George were 3rd in the Defensive Player of the Year voting for the seasons mentioned above.
The 2019-20 NBA season has seen some excellent defensive play from the usual suspects, but do they make the cut for Sportskeeda's top 5 defensive players?
5 contenders for NBA Defensive Player of the Year award
#5 Bam Adebayo
We start off with one of the rising franchise players. The 3rd year player out of John Calipari's Kentucky setup has been improving every year since his debut season on both ends of the court. With the arrival of Jimmy Butler in the Heat setup, they have received a shot in the arm on defensive side despite the departure of Josh Richardson.
Adebayo stands at 6'9" - slightly undersized for a full-time center - but he's more than holding his own on the interior. He's allowing a field goal percentage of only 48.8% on 2-pointers. A bulk of those attempts coming within a range of 5 feet from the hoop.
Adebayo's Defensive Player of the Year credentials are further enhanced by the ease with which he switches onto guards. His lateral quickness, intelligent swiping and defensive IQ have been a big factor in keeping the Miami Heat above the 50th percentile in defensive rating.
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#4 Kawhi Leonard
A two-time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award already, Kawhi is no stranger to this conversation. The Klaw is ranked this low on the list because he's played only about 80% of the Clippers' games this season. One of only two active players to be averaging fewer fouls than steals per game, Leonard has not lost his ability to put the clamps on.
What's so impressive about Kawhi's defense is that he's handling the biggest offensive load of his career so far. He's increased his assist numbers to a career-high 5.0 per game while still taking the same number of shots. And yet, the likes of James Harden, Russell Westbrook and even LeBron James have struggled to create offense for themselves when matched up with him.
#3 Ben Simmons
Currently the league leader in steals per game this season at 2.3, Ben Simmons will be a constant in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation for years to come. His fast hands and basketball IQ make him a threat to most point guards, and he's a menace running Philly's fast break.
In addition, Simmons' ability to switch onto players at virtually any position is one of the most valuable tenets of his game. The 6'9" point guard-power forward hybrid is one of the fastest players in the league despite his height, and he moves his feet extremely efficiently.
Simmons is one of the few players who can be trusted to lock down basically any offensive superstar in the league.
#2 Anthony Davis
Probably the most well-rounded big man in all of basketball, Anthony Davis has been knocking on the door of the Defensive Player of the Year award since his sophomore season. Averaging 2.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game this year, Davis is in the best defensive setup of his career.
Getting to play alongside JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard has allowed us to see even more of Davis's ability to guard perimeter players. His wingspan of 7'5", added to his lateral quickness, presents a problem to almost any player coming up against him.
Davis's defensive contributions from the power forward position have allowed the LA Lakers to post the league's second-best defensive rating. But even Davis's impact on the defensive end is dwarfed when we compare him to the #1 player on our list...
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Possibly the freakiest athlete in the NBA today, Giannis' credentials for Defensive Player of the Year this season are as good as anyone's ever have been. In only 31 minutes per game, the Greek Freak is averaging the 3rd-most rebounds among all players.
In addition, his counting stats of 1.0 steal and 1.0 block combined with his ability as the best weakside help defender in the NBA have made the Bucks a historically great defensive team this season. Giannis can guard virtually everyone in this league, and his insane 7'5" wingspan is a big deterrent for any guard who tries to drain a shot in his face.
Giannis could end up becoming the first player since Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon to win both the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year trophies in the same season. Now that's some elite company to be in!
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Guess the Lakers players!
