NBA: Top 10 Candidates For 2016-17 Defensive Player Of The Year Award

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November 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots the basketball against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Playoff series can be taken over by superstars, but most of the time, NBA championships are won and lost on defense.

Of the last 30 teams to reach the NBA Finals, 25 of them ranked in the top-10 for defensive efficiency, and in that 15-year span, most of the other five were right on the cusp of that line.

Guards are needed to keep opposing superstar guards out of the paint and off the three-point line, especially since the NBA is loaded with talent at that position. Wing defenders are required to cut off the point of attack and mobile big men are needed to challenge shots at the rim while also contesting threes in the small-ball revolution.

Defense becomes paramount in the playoffs when possessions slow to a grind and fast breaks become harder to engineer, but even during the regular season, a team’s commitment heading into the postseason gives us an inside look at what to expect when it arrives.

Heading into the 2016-17 campaign, there are plenty of stifling defenders at every position deserving of consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Here’s a look at the top 10 candidates that could emerge as frontrunners by season’s end.

Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Butler, Avery Bradley, Chris Paul, Gary Harris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tony Allen, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond

NBA: Top 10 Candidates For Defensive Player Of The Year Award In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet | Sep 30, 2016

As the 2016-17 NBA season approaches, here’s a look at the top 10 candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.