Top Candidates For NBA Defensive Player of the Year!

3. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

After a strong season for Embiid, he is primed to take home the DPOY trophy.

Joel Embiid has been a catalyst for the entire 76ers franchise in the last two seasons. From setting historic lows in wins and being considered one of the easiest teams to dominate over in the league, the 76ers have come a long way. A large amount of credit for this transformation goes to Joel Embiid. Not only has he been an absolute nightmare for opposition defenses, he has also acted as a much needed anchor at the defensive end for Philadelphia- establishing himself as an elite two way player in the process.

He is 5th in the entire NBA in blocks per game this season with 1.8 and couples this with 8.7 defensive rebounds per game in the regular season. This mark is 6th best in the NBA. Embiid has also improved in defensive rebounding percentage per game from last season and is currently at 29% (Compared to 24.7% last season).

He has a physically dominating 7'2", 113 Kg frame which helps him deliver fearsome defensive performances on a regular basis and out-muscle post players operating under the rim against him. Due to Embiid's presence, Philadelphia was a top 5 defensive team in the regular season both in terms of shot blocking and rebounding. Embiid has a defensive rating of 100.2, which is among the best in the league.

A healthy Joel Embiid may well be a one-man offensive wrecking crew, but he is also a fierce defender at the other end of the floor. While this year may or may not be his to achieve DPOY, be rest assured that he will make the accolade his in the very near future.