Rudy Gobert Listed as Odds-On Favorite to Win 2019 NBA DPOY After Finalists Announced
- Books favor Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award
- Gobert won the award in 2017-18
- Of the last 22 winners, 18 were centers
The fact that books have established Rudy Gobert as the favorite to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award shouldn’t really come as a surprise.
There’s two things we’ve learned about this honor over the years: big men win it and players frequently win it in consecutive seasons. Gobert won his first NBA DPOY in 2017-18.
Odds to Win NBA Defensive Player of Year
| Player (Team) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert (Jazz) | -400 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) | +300 |
| Paul George (Thunder) | +900 |
*Odds taken May 21
It’s A Big Honor
When he won last season, Gobert ended a three-year run of forwards being named NBA DPOY. It was the 18th time since 1991-92 that the honor went to a center.
The Jazz posted the NBA’s second-best overall defense in 2018-19, behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo is also nominated for the award, as is Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
When Gobert was on the court, the Jazz allowed only 102.9 points per 100 possessions. He had the second-most blocks of any player in the league. His defensive field-goal percentage of 53.2 was fourth in the league.
#NBA defensive player of the year finalists. pic.twitter.com/KmtkScKsuV
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 18, 2019
But Gobert’s defensive value is much more than just numbers. His mobility in the paint enables Utah’s perimeter defenders to stay high. Consequently, the Jazz allowed the second-fewest 3-point field goals in the NBA.
What About Giannis And George?
Only two players have won the MVP and the DPOY in the same season. It’s been 25 years since Hakeem Olajuwon took home both in 1993-94. Michael Jordan (1987-88) is the only other player in NBA history to do so.
Since the Greek Freak is favored to win the former, it’s unlikely that he will sweep both awards.
Not that he can’t make a case. Giannis is the best defensive player on the NBA’s best defensive team. The only other player in NBA history to average at least 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game is Kevin Garnett in 2002-03.
Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Finalist:
Paul George, @okcthunder
▪️77 games played
▪️8.2 RPG
▪️0.4 BPG
▪️2.2 SPG#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/3eOo7HBPp1— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) May 20, 2019
George led the NBA with 170 steals but he was 116th overall in blocked shots.
Familiarity Breeds Success
One thing we also know about defensive player of the year awards, no matter the sport, is that the winners are harder to decipher than with most other individual accolades.
Scoring and rebounding leaders are obvious, You just look up the numbers.
Grading a player’s defensive strengths is not as easy. That’s why you will often see a player repeat as both a nominee and a winner in this category.
Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo are four-time NBA Defensive Players of the Year. Wallace won it four times in five years. Dwight Howard was named the winner three years in a row. Nine times the award was won in consecutive years by the same player.
Gobert will make it an even 10.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
