NBA Defensive POY Odds
As the NBA season sets to get started tomorrow, here is a look at the odds to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Draymond Green is favored to take home the honor this year, as he is listed with +160 odds. Other short odds to win are Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs (+300) and Rudy Gobert of the Jazz (+325).
Green is the do-everything man for the current NBA favorite, the Golden State Warriors. Green is the defending champion of the award. He won it for the first time last year. Green averaged 7.9 rebounds, 2.03 steals and 1.36 blocks per game last year while also putting up 10.2 points and 7 assists per contest. Green led the league in steals per game and was 12th in blocks per contest.
Leonard has won this honor twice in his career, taking the title in the 2014-15 season and 2015-16 season. Last year, Leonard put up 25.5 points per game while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.80 steals and 0.74 blocks per game. Leonard really stepped up his offensive game last year for the Spurs, which may have taken away from some of his defensive numbers. However, he remains one of the top on-the-ball defenders in the league.
Gobert has never won this honor. The center for the Utah Jazz is entering his fifth season in the league. Gobert averaged 14 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.64 blocks per game last year. He was the league-leader in blocks and finished fourth in rebounds. Gobert will be relied on more this year with the team losing Gordan Hayward in the offseason.