The Brow is Dominating the NBA DPOY Odds Race. But Did He Push or Pull his NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds?
By: James Tillman
Another Monday is upon us NBA fans, which means we are gearing up for our ongoing discussion regarding the players in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Going into the All-Star break, Anthony Davis was the leader of the pack in this category.
Did anything happen over the past seven days that would help turn this into a more competitive race? Here’s a look at the updated odds for the players in the running for this prestigious award based upon how they performed over the past week (Feb. 17 through Feb. 23).
Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
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The Third-Best NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA DPOY Odds: +460 – +650)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning MVP of the league and he could be on his way to winning the award again. The Greek Freak had had two outstanding performances over the past week. In a road outing against the Detroit Pistons, he tallied 33 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists, enabling the Bucks to come away with an easy 126-106 victory.
Two nights after that, Giannis put together another superb outing against the Philadelphia 76ers. In that contest, he finished with a stat line of 31 (12-for-17 shooting) 17 rebounds and eight assists. As a surprise to no one, the Bucks cruised to a 119-98 victory, pushing their winning streak to six. On the defensive side, Giannis combined for a total of two blocks and three steals.
The Second-Best NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Rudy Gobert (+300) Last week’s DPOY Odds (+310)
Rudy Gobert – who has won the award in each of the past two seasons – continues to hold down the No. 2 spot on the list. Unfortunately for Gobert, he and the Utah Jazz haven’t exactly begun the second half of the season on a high note. In a home game against the San Antonio Spurs – a team currently out of the playoff picture – Gobert scored 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Spurs from winning the game 113-104.
Just 24 hours later, the Utah Jazz suffered their second straight loss, as they fell to the Houston Rockets 120-110. In that contest, Gobert scored 12 points (on just seven shot attempts) and grabbed six rebounds. On the defensive side, Gobert was somewhat effective as he totaled three blocked shots in those two outings.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds Favorite: Anthony David (-230). Last Week’s DPOY Odds (-290)
Shockingly, Anthony Davis remains the frontrunner in this category. Just like his competition, AD suited up in two games over the past week. In a 117-105 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, he contributed 28 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. He followed that up with a 32-point, 13-rebound performance, as the Lakers edged the Boston Celtics 114-112.
On the defensive end of the court, he tallied nine blocks, seven of which came against the Grizzlies. Simply put, barring a major collapse down the stretch, Gobert’s reign as the top defensive player in the NBA will come to an end.
