NBA Awards Watch Quarter One: Where we stand after Thanksgiving

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 14: Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors look on against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on November 14, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

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NBA Awards Watch: Defensive Player of the Year, Quarter One – Draymond Green

Honorable Mentions: Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert

Debating the top three candidates for Defensive Player of the Year will likely be a consistent race throughout the rest of the season. Rudy Gobert has won three of the last four and remains the anchor of a top 10 unit. Bam Adebayo holds together a top-five defense, disrupting passing lanes and being a general menace to bigs and wings alike.

Despite this, the answer, for now, is Draymond Green. So far this season, the Golden State Warriors are employing the best-rated defensive unit in the league, more than two full points per 100 possessions better than second place.

Green’s impact does not show as much on the stat sheet as his compatriots on this ballot, but the intellect and leadership go very far for him. He manipulates the entire court on both sides of the ball, helping to return the former juggernaut Warriors back to the top of the pile.

The battle the rest of the way will be unbelievably close. Gobert is unlikely to get the recognition again, even if he deserves it. Voter fatigue, right or wrong, is real. Green is one of the more polarizing yet popular figures in the league. If this trend continues, he must be the betting favorite.