NBA 2019-20: 5 bold predictions for Defensive Player of the Year award

#4 Myles Turner

Myles Turner led the league in blocks last year.

In just one season, 23-year-old Myles Turner went from being an average defender at best to arguably the best shot blocker in the league. Averaging 2.7 blocks per game last year, Turner showcased his elite skill level when it came to protecting the rim on an impressively consistent basis.

Despite not being recognised duly for his efforts, Turner continued to carry forward his dominant showing into the offseason and was one of the lone bright spots in Team USA's forgettable FIBA WC campaign.

He played (and started) in 74 games for Indiana and averaged over 13 points per game. The Pacers center is one of the select few in the NBA who have career block averages in upwards of 2 blocks per game.

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#5 Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday leads the pack of overlooked quality talents in the league.

Now that the Pelicans find themselves in a fairly promising situation after their recent player acquisitions, they can rest assured that Jrue Holiday has a chance to shine on the big stage. To provide some perspective about his talent level, the 29-year-old landed an All-Defensive second team spot last year, and that aspect of the game isn't even his fortae.

Highly skilled at making clutch shots at regular intervals, Holiday averaged over 21 points per game this past season, despite hovering in the shadow of Anthony Davis for the most part of the year.

The young core that surrounds him now, present a golden opportunity for him to expand the horizons of his defensive IQ and be more of a player than he ever was.