NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Bam Adebayo (Week 13)

As we pass the midway point in the regular season, a handful of NBA players have made a strong case for the Defensive Player of the Year award. While new faces continue to enter the mix, one big man continues to be the clear runaway favorite.

Aside from a few rare cases, the Defensive Player of the Year award is typically given to the NBA's top defensive center. The most recent case of a non-big winning was two years ago when Marcus Smart was still on the Boston Celtics.

Now on the back end of the regular season, here is an updated picture of DPOY power rankings.

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NBA Defensive Player of the Year power rankings (Week 13):

5) Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Rounding out the top five is the 2023 No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama. The French big man had a lot of hype around him, and he's delivered through his first months in the NBA.

An ankle injury has led to Wembanyama playing slightly less minutes for the San Antonio Spurs, but he is still extremely productive. Along with averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds, he is leading the league in blocks per game (3.2).

The Spurs having one of the worst records in the league hurts his case some, but there is no denying Wemby's defensive impact in his rookie season.

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4) Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Next up is a player who is commonly in the conversation for NBA's best defender, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. Through the first half of the season, he has been his team's best player on both ends of the floor.

The Heat currently have a top-10 defense in the league, and Adebayo plays a huge role in that. As a 6-foot-9 center, he is an extremely versatile frontcourt defender. Adebayo is also averaging a career-high in rebounds (10.5) while also putting up close to one steal and block per game.

As he continues to display his defensive skills on a nightly basis, Adebayo is a player who has a chance to jump up these rankings in the near future.

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3) Anthony Daivs, LA Lakers

Another versatile defensive center is LA Lakers star Anthony Davis. Along with being a force offesensivley, he continues to showcase his brilliance on the other end of the floor.

Davis' 2.4 blocks per game is his highest mark since his final season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The former No. 1 pick is also notching over one steal a night as well. Despite what he does anchoring for the Lakers, they still only have the 13th-best defense in the league.

If LA can work their way back up the Western Conference standings, Davis could emerge as a favorite for DPOY.

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2) Chet Holmgren, OKC Thunder

The second rookie to pop up in these power rankings is OKC Thunder Chet Holmgren. Some had their doubts about his smaller frame, but it appears to be a non-issue through his first NBA season.

Holmgren's 2.5 blocks per game are good for 4th best in the league. On top of that, the Thunder have the sixth-best defensive rating across all 30 teams. Other players impact this as well, but what Holmgren has done protecting the rim has been a major catalyst.

If Holmgren can keep this pace the rest of the season, he might end up being a finalist for both Rookie of the Year and DPOY.

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1) Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

All of these players have built strong cases, but one continues to stand out above the rest. That being Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert.

Along with having the top defense in the NBA, the T-Wolves continue to control the top spot in the Western Conference standings. Defense has been the major key to their success, with Gobert being the center of it all.

Aside from the Timberwolves completely falling apart in the second half of the year, Gobert is the clear frontrunner for DPOY.