NBA Announces Finalists For Defensive Player of the Year Award

With the NBA regular season officially over, it is time to turn the page to the playoffs. All 16 teams are vying for a chance at glory. But when the playoffs come around, that also means that finalists for the major awards of the season are revealed. Among those award finalists were the three finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks, and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers are the three players vying for the award.

While all three players are certainly deserving of the award, only one can take it home in the end. So let’s take a deeper look at the three finalists and see what they have accomplished this season in the NBA to get to this point.

Draymond Green

This season has seen Green continue to prove why he is so valuable to the Warriors foundation. Averaging 9.0 points, his highest since 2017-18 when he averaged 11, Green has re-emerged on offense while continuing his tenacity on defense. Averaging 6.1 rebounds, one block, and 1.5 steals, Green has easily been Golden State’s best defensive player and has come up big in key moments. He was especially good in April. His defense has been the reason that the Warriors have been able to close out big games.

Most notably, in a game against the Lakers on April 3, Green had a big block and steal on a Luka Doncic layup attempt that gave the Warriors the ball back with less than 40 seconds to go in the game. The winner of the DPOY in 2017 and finishing in the top 10 multiple times for the award, this could be the year he wins his second.

Evan Mobley

All season long, the Cavaliers dominated the NBA on defense with Mobley being one of the centerpieces. Finishing the season at 64-18, the Cavaliers cruised the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But what made Mobley stand out the most was not only his ability to punish opponents on offense, averaging 18.5 points and 3.2 assists. His defensive ability made the Cavaliers the league’s most well-rounded team. Able to guard all five positions, the Cavaliers defensive rating grew exponentially whenever Mobley was on the court. His paint defense was among the best in the league in both contesting shots and blocked shots.

While he primarily plays power forward and center with the job of playing inside, he can also provide help with perimeter defense, unlocking even more versatility for Cleveland. A strong defender for his entire basketball career, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in his lone college season with USC, Mobley has kept that trend up in the NBA and will hope to add a DPOY to his name.

Dyson Daniels

The Hawks may not have made the playoffs this season, but they can go into next season knowing that they have a gem in the 22-year-old Daniels. While his first two seasons in the league may not have been eye-popping, year three has been the season that shows why he was the eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft. He is also in the running for the Most Improved Player Award after averaging 14.1 points and 4.4 assists in the regular season. It was a huge improvement from his 5.8 points and 2.7 assists from last season.

Daniels has also evolved into one of the NBA’s best defenders. In many late-game situations for the Hawks, particularly late in the season, Daniels would come up with a big block and/or steal in clutch time, putting the Hawks in a position to close out games. The league leader in steals this season, averaging three per game and finishing with 229 total, Daniels has a bright future ahead of him. He is looking at a long career in the NBA if he continues on this trajectory.

Final Thoughts

It truly is neck and neck for this NBA award race. In many years, there is some idea as to who will win a specific award. This season’s Defensive Player of the Year could honestly go to any of these three players, and it would be the right choice. But, as is the case with many of the league’s big awards, it will most likely go to a player whose team is still in the NBA Playoffs. That makes it increasingly likely that either Green or Mobley will take home the award. But whatever the case may be, the race will be very tight.