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2017-18 NBA Awards: HoopsHabit roundtable predictions

By Gerald Bourguet

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 11: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives around Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on February 11, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 11: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives around Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on February 11, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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Defensive Player of the Year

Bourguet pick: Rudy Gobert
HoopsHabit pick: Draymond Green

If the Defensive Player of the Year Award felt like a three-man contest last year, it’s not surprising to see those same three candidates dominate the preseason predictions again in 2017-18. Of the 26 votes, Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert and Kawhi Leonard combined for 25 of them.

The lone straggler, Anthony Davis, finished a distant fourth in our top 10 candidates for DPOY, and could be a dark horse if he becomes a defensive terror for a top-five New Orleans Pelicans defense. Still, this is probably going to come down to one of the three most elite defenders the NBA has to offer right now.

The reigning DPOY, Draymond Green, earned 11 votes among the HoopsHabit staff, and he’ll probably be just as deserving this season as he was last year (and in 2014-15, when he earned more first place votes but finished second overall because he was inexplicably left off several ballots).

Related Story: Top 10 candidates for 2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year

Green is the most versatile defender in the NBA, and he’s the reason the Golden State Warriors are such a hard defense to score on. As the best defender of quite possibly the NBA’s best defense, Green will get plenty of votes again in 2017-18.

However, Rudy Gobert had a strong case last season, and in a league where voters are usually a season behind in awards voting, the league’s leading shot-blocker could very easily dominate this category if he anchors another top-five defense in the Utah Jazz‘s first season without Gordon Hayward. Gobert earned eight votes, while two-time DPOY winner Kawhi Leonard received six.

Gobert is my prediction because he could lead the NBA in blocks again, lead the Jazz to a playoff spot with stellar defensive play and benefit from voter fatigue with both Draymond and Kawhi. However, the San Antonio Spurs stalwart can’t be excluded either, even if his team was statistically better on that end with him on the bench.