Who’s the best defender in the NBA this season? With Anthony Davis sidelined due to a calf strain, Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz) is the favorite to win the DPOY at -200 odds. Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers) and Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) are also among the top betting favorites to win the DPOY.
Gobert won the DPOY in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. Now, the Jazz center is attempting to become the fourth player in NBA history with three DPOY awards. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace both won the DPOY four times, and Dwight Howard won the DPOY three seasons in a row between 2009 and 2011.
| NBA 2021 DPOY Odds |
- Rudy Gobert -200
- Myles Turner +300
- Ben Simmons +400
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +1400
- Joel Embiid +1400
- Anthony Davis +8000
- Draymond Green +8000
- Clint Capela +10000
- Bam Adebayo +10000
- Jrue Holiday +10000
- Kawhi Leonard +10000
- OG Anunoby +10000
Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka The Greek Freak, won the 2020 DPOY and the NBA MVP in the same season. Antetokounmpo is +1400 odds to win DPOY in back-to-back seasons.
don't worry, it's a rite of passage#TakeNote | @rudygobert27 pic.twitter.com/cd70ss63N2
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 23, 2021
DPOY Faves: Gobert, Turner, and Simmons
Gobert, Turner, and Simmons sounds like a prog-rock band from the 1970s, but they’re actually the three top defenders in the NBA this season. Gobert, Turner, and Simmons have the best odds at the top of the NBA DPOY betting board, according to a recent update by DraftKings.
The runaway favorite this season is Gobert, but he’s not exactly a lock. Then again, Gobert is one of the reasons why the Utah Jazz are the top team in the league and ranked in the top 5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Jazz are currently ranked #3 in team defense, allowing 107.1 ppg. Gobert is ranked #3 in rebounding with 13.2 rebounds per game. He’s ranked #2 in blocks with 2.8 per game.
Simmons gets plenty of guff for his inability to knock down an outside shot, but he’s become one of the best defenders in the league, and he’s not shy about letting everyone know it.
“I take pride in guarding the best player on the floor every night,” said Simmons said. “It’s not a one-off thing. Typically, the best players are guards, or shooting guards, whatever. And I love that. I love the fact that my teammates look to me to lock it down. I feel like I’m the best defender in the NBA.”
Simmons earned the NBA’s top defender ranking this week, while Gobert slipped to #2.
Turner leads the NBA with 3.4 blocks per game. He anchors the Pacers’ defense and they’d give up more than 112 ppg if he wasn’t roaming the middle. In the latest NBA defensive rankings, Turner is ranked third.
Mid and Long Shots: Freak, AD, Embiid
Antetokounmpo is a long shot here at +1400, but the DPOY winner tends to win in bunches. That bodes well for the Freak, but in reality, he’s an outside shot compared to Gobert, Turner, and Simmons. His teammate, Jrue Holiday, joined the Bucks because of his reputation of being a lockdown defender. Holiday is at +1000 odds to win his first-ever DPOY, but it’s rare for a guard to win the award these days.
Joel Embiid is in the middle of a monstrous season. The 76ers center saw a bump in his MVP odds, but he’s +1400 odds to win his first DPOY award.
Anthony Davis would be near the top of the DPOY futures board if he hadn’t injured his calf. You can back AD at +8000 odds, but who knows when he’ll actually return to the lineup.
Draymond Green won the DPOY back in 2017. He’s still the top defender on the Golden State Warriors, but another long shot at +8000 odds.
OG’s favorite NBA player, OG Anunoby, is listed as a +10000 long shot to win the NBA DPOY. Anunoby is the Toronto Raptors’ best matchup defender.
