Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the way!
The DPOY Ranking is the ranking by which we can evaluate the existence of Rudy Gobert, a French giant who has been awarded three times for half a dozen years. This is the lineup where you find the names that aren’t at the top of the bill every night. On the other hand, this is the ranking where you will most often find the names of the guys who led their team to victory. Winners with their defense near or far from the ball. Go, read well and trespass, bite penalty.
(Statistics as of January 30)
#10 Rudy Gobert
He may have danced the rumba against Trey Lyles last night, Rudy Gobert is better and it shows in his team’s results. Fewer counter-attacks than in previous seasons, but still just as effective, still central to Wolves’ defensive plan. For offensive rebounds, we’ll go back, that’s off topic, but if the Wolves want to score something, they’ll have a dominant Gobe pass under the basket. It’s starting to come very slowly, and let’s face it, Rudy’s real place in this ranking is a few notches down. Shall we talk in a month?
2022-23 stats: 11.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.3 against, Wolves twelfth best NBA team in defensive rating
#9 Aaron Gordon
If the Nuggets are still the leaders of the Western Conference, it’s obviously thanks to the offensive genius of Nikola Jokic, but also the tenacity of Aaron Gordon. His offensive purity, along with his defensive toughness and versatility, has re-established himself in Denver and is now one of the league’s best role players. A role player that shouldn’t be a relegation for AG, he’s strong enough to man the 5 position and lively enough to take care of the number of finer wingers who eat up opposing goaltenders every night. Definitely his favorite version.
2022-23 stats: 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals, Nuggets thirteenth best defense in league and fifteenth best NBA team in defensive rating
#8 Luguentz sleeps
At some point you have to tell the terms, and if at the beginning of the season Lulu Dort was struggling to be legitimate given the collective numbers of the Thunder defense, after a few weeks the file is really serious. Why? Because on January 31st, OKC isn’t part of the Grupetto, it’s the core of the pack, and the Thunder’s defense is finally… nothing short of a disaster. Thanks in part to Luguentz Dort, who remains the nightmare of a large portion of the league’s backs. A giant trunk, a non-stop activity and a project that you love? Everything is confirmed for FC Dort this season!
2022-23 stats: 4.2 rebounds, 1 steal and 0.3 against, Thunder ninth-best in league defensive rating
#7 OG Anunoby
The first leader of our rating is slowly falling, as the Raptors ambitions disappear. Again, a bit oversimplified, but it’s true that when your team loses a lot of matches and overall defends better than they did two months ago… the sentence is exactly what you’d imagine. Still impressive man-to-man, still the best tackler in the League, OG is a monster no one wants to face on the field. Unless there is some confusion in Toronto and the British are directly concerned, they will most likely leave before February 9th. Either way, 2022-23 remains a breakout season for OG, but the DPOY trophy will likely fall into different hands this season.
2022-23 stats: 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 0.8, Raptors ninth-best NBA defense
#6 Joel Embiid
Seeing him shoot 45/20 every night makes us almost forget that Joel Embiid is a whore of an elite defender. We saw against the Nuggets that PJ Tucker didn’t do much to slow down Nikola Jokic, but as for 99% of the other pivots in the League, Jojo does pretty well on his own. Under the circle is the emperor because he is a physical monster with real positioning science, solid in support when it comes to a little control after a pass, Joel is a poison and we can’t wait to see him do his thing. Rudy Fernandez at the next Olympic Games. Yes, we wrote well.
2022-23 stats: 10 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks, Sixers fourth-best defense in league and sixth-best NBA team in defensive rating
.#5 Nic Claxton
A new kid who could compete for a trophy for Chef’s Surprise, best forward in the league, or best Nic. Averaging almost three blocks, a few highlights (his matchup with Joel Embiid), consistency that no longer needs proof, and a leading role in the Nets’ spectacular season. Nic Claxton is officially the starting center for one of the best teams in the NBA, and it’s not a composition role. A very long, very crazy, months of very motivated Nic has gone through a phase and he is now one of those who speculate after speaking. Gg my friend.
2022-23 stats: 8.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 2.7 blocks, Nets sixth best defense in league and tenth best NBA team in defensive rating
#4 Evan Mobley
The future owner of the league, something close. Evan, the best in the league, is still very young, but already very dominant. We stick with his counterpart Jarrett Allen because we’re not the best defender in the league because of one person, but the true defensive boss of these Cavs is Evan Mobley. Evan, who is very intelligent, very forward of everything, excels in assists, lateral movements, not to mention his hang time, which allows him to spin balls here, in short, if you want to put the ball on the floor. basket just avoid meeting this person because we prefer to warn you: it will be a bitter failure. Spoiler, Evan Mobley will win this trophy, and if not this year, then next.
2022-23 stats: 8.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.3 against, Cavs best defense in league and second-best NBA team in defensive rating
#3 Brook Lopez
The fall of the great river. Be careful, we’re not saying he’s a huge brat, just that others have bad acceleration and Giannis Antetokounmpo also takes up a lot of space on defense, which can turn off Brook’s focus a bit at times. . To see him still ranked third in this ranking is crazy considering his career, and the simple fact of seeing him at this level on both ends of the floor makes the Bucks a legitimate contender for the top title. 2.5 pancakes per game, don’t be deterred because his face is really scary and if his brother beats the mascots, he continues to stuff himself with real basketball players every night like he’s 25 years old.
2022-23 stats: 6.2 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 2.5 blocks, Bucks seventh-best defense in league and fourth-best NBA team in defensive rating
#2 Bam Adebayo
Things are looking better for the Heat, who are gradually returning to heights that match them. Why is it better? The main thing is that the leaders are ready and send hard, and we think clearly Udonis Haslem Bam Adebayo, who talks a lot, but still plays a lot of basketball. Gneu gneu I deserve to be DPOY, gneu gneu all the All Star Game voices, yes he really talks a lot, but clearly… Yes for DPOY and yes for the All Star Game, like he talks a lot but don’t talk nonsense. The defensive leader of his team while developing in the same way as the rabies’ fine flower (Butler, Lowry…), Bam is more than a safe bet, he is a monster in his part of the field and the Tokyo French still remember. Come on, don’t worry Bam, you have to go to Salt Lake City for ASG and you’re getting dangerously close to the DPOY you say you deserve.
2022-23 stats: 10 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 against, Heat second-best defense in league and third-best NBA team in defensive rating
#1 Jaren Jackson Jr.
Ding dong, we have a new leader! After starting the season on the wing due to the 459th injury of his career, Jaren Jackson Jr. is back in business, and some are getting paid a lot. Averaging 3.2 blocks, some would have us believe the number is skewed, but if you watch Memphis games, even home games, you see them like us, just like you see Dillon Brooks’ tackle, big old. incompetent The mere presence of JJJ results in handbrake turns, the pancake box runs like never before, and if the triple J passes the Candlemas date and the Grizzlies remain a two-out-of-three team, it’s hard to imagine who will come next. and challenge for Jackson’s place at the top of this ranking. Because we’ve figured out what it takes for Jare to be a killer…he just needs to play injury free for over a month, so knock on wood.
2022-23 stats: 6.7 rebounds, 1 steal and 3.2 blocks, Grizzlies tenth best defense in league and best NBA team in defensive rating
Sources: basketreference and ESPN
