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2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 10 Defensive Player Of The Year Candidates

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 10, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) passes the ball out against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) passes the ball out against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Defensive Player Of The Year
Dec 6, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks a shot by Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) in the third quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Rudy Gobert

The only race that’s closer than the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year award is the four-way grand prix for MVP. There are exceedingly strong cases for both Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green, and either candidate would be 100 percent deserving.

This season saw Gobert break through not only as one of the game’s elite rim protectors (which he already was), but also as an All-NBA talent. Per Basketball-Reference, he led the league in blocks (2.6 per game), block percentage (6.4) and defensive win shares (6.0). Those numbers give him a decided edge over Draymond Green, who finished 12th in blocks (1.4 per game), 20th in block percentage (3.4) and second in defensive win shares (5.4).

The Stifle Tower was also elite on the boards, finishing fourth in rebounds (12.8 per game) and fifth in total rebounding percentage. Combine that with his third-ranked defensive rating and third-ranked Defensive Box Plus-Minus, and his case for DPOY is pretty clear.

As the NBA’s most imposing rim protector, Gobert posted a Defensive Field Goal Percentage of 43.3 percent, 4.9 percent less than opponents would normally shoot, per NBA.com. On shots inside of six feet, the French Rejection once again finished near the top of the charts, holding opponents to 49.2 percent shooting — a whopping 12.5 percent worse than they’d normally shoot.

He’s become much more effective in defending away from the basket as well, smothering ball handlers out of pick and rolls and even stepping out to defend stretch-4s and stretch-5s in a pinch.

By nearly every statistical measure, Gobert would normally be the clear frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s the best and most impactful defender on the NBA’s fourth-ranked defense, and the Utah Jazz are 6.9 points per 100 possessions stingier with him on the floor.

But as much as Gobert is one of the league’s most intimidating rim protectors, most improved players and quite possibly the best all-around player on a 51-win Jazz team, his DPOY case falls just a bit short of Draymond’s.