NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year
9. Ricky Rubio/Chris Paul
We’re cheating a little bit here, but both Chris Paul and Ricky Rubio are sterling defenders at the point guard position who are joining new teams that will highlight their abilities, especially when it comes to their knack for racking up steals.
For CP3, he’ll be joining a Houston Rockets team that ranked 18th on the defensive end last season, though they were only 0.1 points per 100 possessions away from 15th. With P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute on board, Paul could very well lead the charge to a top-10 defense.
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As for Rubio, he’ll be joining the perfect system to utilize his defensive skill-set with the Utah Jazz. With sound defenders at every position, Rubio may be emboldened to gamble for steals a bit more, since his help and Quin Snyder’s system would be able to cover for him.
It’s a crime Rubio has never made an All-Defensive team, especially for a player who’s averaged 2.1 steals per game for his career. CP3 is a nine-time All-Defensive team selection and has led the league in steals six times, averaging 2.3 steals per game for his career.
Unfortunately for both of these guys, the last point guard to win this award was Gary Payton back in 1995-96. It’s highly unlikely that trend changes this season since CP3 is now 32 and Rubio will be overshadowed by another defender on his own team.