Defensive Player of the Year: Paul George
Honorable mentions: Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Myles Turner, Kawhi Leonard
Paul George is having the best season of his career and his performances on both ends of the floor have propelled him into not only the MVP conversation but also into considerations for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
George has always been an elite perimeter defender, but this season has been something special for PG. He is averaging a career-high 2.3 steals per game. Meanwhile, George is second in the league for deflections per game and leads everyone with 123 loose balls recovered this season.
PG’s defensive versatility is a big reason behind the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder have the third best defensive rating in the league. George is capable of guarding all five positions and makes the Thunder a very tough team to score on.
Some other notable players in this category are Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Myles Turner and Kawhi Leonard. A majority of these players are excellent shot blockers and have solid foot speed but can’t match the same versatility as George. The only player who comes close is Leonard but he has not been as potent on defense this season as in years past.