When Looking at the DPOY Odds, One Man Stands Above the Rest: Rudy Gobert
Greetings NBA fans! We have completed the first month of the new 2019-20 campaign. Coming into the season, the players with the best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year included Rudy Gobert, an obvious choice being that he’s won the award in each of the last two seasons.
The other two popular choices were Anthony Davis and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. With each team having played about 15 games or so, here’s a look at how the frontrunners have fared so far based on their outings from last week.
Defensive Player Of The Year Odds
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NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds No. 3 Spot: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+450)
The 2018-19 MVP led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 3-0 record last week, posting wins against the Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and the Detroit Pistons. In those three contests, Giannis put up monster numbers, averaging 28.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per outing. From a defensive standpoint, Antetokounmpo averaged 1.6 steals during that stretch, but just one block.
While his odds have improved from +600 prior to the start of the season, it is difficult to foresee a scenario in which he would leapfrog the other players on this list. Then again, the season is just getting started.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds No. 2 Spot: Anthony Davis (+250)
One of the reasons why AD forced his way out of New Orleans was to be on a team that had a legitimate shot at competing for a title. Despite the bright spotlight of Hollywood, Davis has shined, to say the least. In last week’s trio of outings, Davis compiled averages of 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per outing.
At the other end of the floor, he averaged 2.3 blocks and 2.7 steals during that stretch, helping the Lakers go 3-0. Considering that AD currently leads the NBA in blocks with three per outing, it is of little surprise that his odds have improved from the +400 mark he was at before the season began.
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The Top Spot for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds: Rudy Gobert (+150)
Now it’s time to shift our focus to the player that has dominated in this area over the past two seasons. If you’re looking for Gobert’s offensive output to be on pace with Giannis and AD, you’re going to be disappointed, as he produced a total of just 36 points over his last three outings.
Conversely, he was a solid presence on the glass, pulling down 16 boards per contest and he was even better at protecting the rim. In fact, Gobert averaged an astounding 4.3 blocks per contest last week, helping the Jazz to a 2-1 mark. Surprisingly, his odds have dipped a bit from the +140 mark he was at prior to the season. But if he continues to turn away shots at this rate, he could very well win the award for a third straight season.
