2023-24 Defensive Player Of The Year Finalists Announced

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA announced the finalists for 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year. The finalists are Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves and rookie Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

Gobert is a three-time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He took home the award in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 while playing for the Utah Jazz.

Adebayo is a first-time finalist. Wembanyama is also a finalist for 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.

Via RealGM Staff Report

[arasu]

Davis outside the top 3 is a major snub.

[LakersLegacy]

Davis is the best defender
PromKing

[FrobeBryant]

So AD is not even considered in the conversation for DPOY due to team record but Wemby is? Buncha bs

[CarraT]

So AD is not even considered in the conversation for DPOY due to team record but Wemby is? Buncha bs

Because Wemby is just better

[puja21]

So AD is not even considered in the conversation for DPOY due to team record but Wemby is? Buncha bs

Bam seems like the outlier here.

All the cases Heat blogs are writing for Bam are (again) based on team success and how his numbers "don't tell the full story" or "how he guards the best player"

If team defense is the case, then White/Holiday (#3 defense) and Chet (#4 defense) all have similar arguments to Bam with better team defense.

Bam's at-the-rim numbers are worse than last year, which were already bad when this argument had more smoke and he still lost.

DFG% inside of 6 feet
1 Watson 48.3%
2 Rudy 49.2%
6 Chet 52.9%
8 Wemby 53.4%
19 JJJ = 55.6%
21 Lopez 55.8%
23 AD 56.4%
30 Allen = 57%
33 White 57.2%
34 Holiday 57.3%
35 Naz 57.5%
36 Giddey 57.8%
37 Bam 57.9%

Opp FG% <5 ft
Kristaps 57.4% 18.1 atts
Rudy 57.7% 17.8 atts
Chet 58.1% 18.1 atts
Smart 59.3% 16.9 atts
SGA 59.8% 20.7 atts
Mobley 59.9% 18.6 atts
Dort 60% 17.4 atts
Jrue 60.1% 19.2 atts
Naz 60.1% 17.7 atts
White 60.2% 18.9 atts
JJJ 60.3% 20.2 atts
Isaac 61.5% 6.5 atts
Allen 61.6% 19.3 atts
Brook 62.2% 18.2 atts
Embiid 62.2% 21.4 atts
Wemby 62.4% 20.1 atts
Kessler 62.5% 15.3 atts
AD 62.6% 21 atts
Joker 64% 21.2 atts
Bam 65.8% on 17 atts
Duncan Robinson 65.8%

His "traditional" advanced stats don't stand out:
DWS are behind Rudy, AD, Wemby, Chet
DBPM all behind Wemby, Gobert, AD, Mobley even SGA and Joker
DefRtg among the leaders but still behind Rudy and Chet

And Bam doesn't have the timeless old counting stats either:
Wemby = 1st blocks, 22nd steals
AD = 3rd blocks, 23rd steals
JJJ = 10th blocks, 24th steals
Joker 32nd blocks, 7th steals
Bam = 33rd blocks, 34th steals

Several guys could argue snub, but Bam just doesn't seem to have a good case.

[dolphinatik]

I see these arguments and I can see your point then I remember oh ya, these are stats at the rim or withing 5 feet. Bam is also guarding the perimeter, wing, baseline, top of the key, inbounder, ball boy, camera men. He is all over the place. So yes if its a rim protection award % says Gobert, numbers say Wemby, total floor coverage says Bam.