Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid, C Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was finally able to stay (mostly) healthy for a full season and he helped lead the 76ers to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The 76ers ranked third in the league in defensive rating at 103.8 points per 100 possessions and were more than 7 points better defensively with Embiid on the floor. He ranked second in the league behind Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in defensive win shares, and second in defensive rating among all starters.
Embiid length and recovery speed are phenomenal, and he makes up for so many of Philly’s perimeter break downs by contesting shots at the rim. The 6-foot-11 specimen had the best defensive field goal percentage on opponents’ shots within six feet of any player (at least 50 games) who defended five attempts from that range each game.
If Embiid didn’t take a shot to the orbital bone from his own teammate, he might have had the inside track on the award last year. Utah’s Rudy Gobert ended up winning the award despite playing only 56 games in the regular season.
If Embiid didn’t miss the last eight regular season games and the start of the playoffs, he may have left voters with a different impression for the season. We’ll never know.
However, if Embiid puts together a healthy season this year, he will earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. Even if Gobert has another great season, he’ll suffer from voting fatigue and the Eastern Conference opposition Embiid faces will not test him like the wild West.
If Al Horford didn’t earn the respect of the voters with his candidacy, I’m not sure how this season could prove any better. A healthy Kawhi Leonard will certainly deserve consideration, although if he comes back healthy, he may be competing for the MVP award. Clint Capela has become a very high-level defender in Houston, but the help surrounding him is gone.
Will Draymond Green have the focus required to win this award, especially in a lot of blowouts? Kevin Durant has already started pushing himself for this award, but he’s like the fourth best defender on his own team. Sorry, dude.