Who will win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the NBA? In all likelihood, it will be Rudy Gobert, who has helped the Minnesota Timberwolves rank first in defensive rating and given them a real shot at finishing in first place in the Western Conference.
However, there are those who believe Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers is being disrespected in the conversation regarding who deserves to win the award.
Not only is Davis averaging more blocks per game than Gobert, he also has the ability to step out to the perimeter and guard players at multiple positions. He can even stop small guards such as Stephen Curry when needed, as he did in last season’s playoffs.
On Tuesday versus the Milwaukee Bucks, he rejected Damian Lillard’s game-winning layup attempt at the end of the first overtime. The Lakers ended up winning 128-124 in two overtimes, and Davis finished with four blocks and 23 rebounds.
On Fox Sports 1’s “First Things First,” Nick Wright praised his defensive performance while calling him “the best defensive player on the planet.”
"I think AD is the best defensive player on the planet."
— @getnickwright on the Lakers 2OT win over the Bucks: pic.twitter.com/Qq9gBBVPQt
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 27, 2024
Davis sat out Wednesday’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies, and without him, Los Angeles had defensive issues, even though it won fairly easily. It gave up 56 points in the paint and surrendered over 30 points in three out of four quarters.
In the end, he likely will not win the award because, overall, the Lakers are a mediocre defensive team. But without Davis, they would likely be one of the NBA’s worst defensive squads.