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The NBA’s 65-game rule will majorly impact this year’s award selection process. Laker star Luka Doncic has already been disqualified having missed over 30 games this year. That will automatically end his streak of five-straight All-NBA First-team selections. A week-long absence down the stretch for guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or Kyrie Irving would also put them in jeopardy of not meeting the 65-game threshold the league instated before last season.
One player who will not be playing 65 games this year, thus making them ineligible for all year-end awards, is San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs announced he’s out for the rest of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder. He had played in 46 games this year. The 21-year-old was on track to make an All-NBA team in his second season in the league.
The 7-foot-3 wunderkind should be in line for plenty of awards in the near future. This season, another player will be hoisting the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. There isn’t a clear successor now that Wembanyama is out of the race. It may have been Anthony Davis who has notably never won the award despite being one of the league’s top defenders for the past decade.
The newest Maverick played just two quarters for his new team before being sidelined with an injury. He’s set to be reevaluated in two weeks, but he would have to play in 22 of Dallas’ final 26 games to become eligible. That seems unlikely given the timetable listed.
Memphis Jaren Jackson Jr. is more likely to be considered. His block numbers are way down from his DPOY campaign in 2023 (from 3.0 to 1.6), but the Grizzlies are elite defensively when he’s on the floor. He ranks third in steals-plus-blocks this year with 155.
Another name to look for is Cleveland’s Evan Mobley. The 23-year-old Cavalier is helping lead a top-10 defense in Cleveland. It cannot be understated the impact Mobley has on a team that is built around guards and wings that aren’t plus defenders. He’s had to erase mistakes in the paint all year long.
Of course, he plays alongside a solid center in Jarrett Allen, but this isn’t an equal partnership (at least, on the defensive end). Mobley’s net defensive rating is +6.4 and Allen’s is -4.5.
Mobley and star guard Donovan Mitchell have shared the floor for 1,267 minutes this season (31st among 2-man lineups) for the No. 1 seed Cavaliers. In those minutes, the Cavs have a 105.6 defensive rating — nearly matching the OKC Thunder’s No. 1 ranked defense (105.4). Mobley has already recorded three 4-block performances in February.
Guards are often overlooked in the Defensive Player of the Year race because they typically don’t impact games as much as bigs. However, Marcus Smart won it in 2022 as a lockdown perimeter defender. Perhaps this year is the season the guards earn more recognition. At the top of the list is Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, the league leader in steals (3.0).
There have only been 11 times in NBA history that a player finished a season above 3.0 steals per game — the most recent being Alvin Robertson in 1991.
The Atlanta ball hawk has been credited with 311 deflections this season. The next closest is Philadelphia’s Kelly Oubre Jr. with 213. Daniels has a bigger lead on No. 2 than Oubre Jr. has on No. 36. The Hawks aren’t a great defensive team, but Daniels’ activity and defensive playmaking have been sensational to watch.
One last dark horse to consider is the voters opting to give the award to a player from the previously mentioned No. 1 ranked defense. The Oklahoma City Thunder boast one of the best defenses we’ve seen in years. And, that’s with rim protector Chet Holmgren having missed most of the year. Had he been healthy, Holmgren would possibly be the favorite at this point.
Luguentz Dort will likely receive some votes. He takes on the toughest defensive matchup each night and makes life difficult for opposing All-Stars. Jalen Williams is a Swiss army knife who can guard multiple positions. He’s projected to earn a spot on one of the All-Defensive teams. It wouldn’t even be surprising if MVP-favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG) gets some recognition from voters based on his counting stats.
With eight weeks to go in the NBA regular season, the Defensive Player of the Year race is wide-open. It will be intriguing to see who steps up over the last 25 games, and who ultimately takes home the award by season’s end.
