2024-25 NBA DPOY and All-Defense discussion

[yoyoboy]

Wemby was at like -3000 odds for DPOY. Won't be eligible now. RIP to the people who took that bet.

[Dacost]

Centers: Wembanyama, Gobert, Camara, Isaac
Forwards: Adebayo, Draymond, Chet, Davis, OG, Dort, Amen Thompson
Guards: J-Dub, Caruso, SGA, Dillon Brooks, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Suggs

No Jaren Jackson ???

[jasonxxx102]

My Dyson - 125:1 and Mobley 11:1 DPOY tickets are looking really nice now.

Those allow me to really add a big Jaren position and feel good about this award

[Godymas]

this might go to Mobley. The Hawks won’t be a good enough overall team.

[EmpireFalls]

Mobley will win imo

[SlimShady83]

Wemby Is out for season?

[Special_Puppy]

The Thunder have the best defense in the NBA by 5 points and yet someone on that team isn't going to win DPOY. That what happens when Caruso, Chet, and Hartenstein are all disqualified I guess

[ijspeelman]

The Thunder have the best defense in the NBA by 5 points and yet someone on that team isn't going to win DPOY. That what happens when Caruso, Chet, and Hartenstein are all disqualified I guess

Its also hard to reward team defense with an individual award. Its happened before, but its a bit odd. It just depends on what you want to award.

If Chet didn't miss so much time and continued his impact, it would have been him after Wemby probably.

[MoneyTalks41890]

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[Ron Swanson]

Let's please not pull a Marcus Smart again. OKC being so dominant defensively no matter who's in and out of the lineup means that no one person on that team should win DPOTY. They should have at least 2-3 All-Defense selections though.

With Wemby out it certainly seems like it's a wide open race now. Jaren Jackson might actually be more deserving now than he was in 2023, Mobley has a great case even if the Cavs defense has slipped a bit, and Amen Thompson could be a wildcard, but he might be a tough sell given that the Rockets are actually significantly better defensively (+2.7) when he's off the court. I'd say those are my Top-3 right now but again, it feels like it's wide open now.

[Ron Swanson]

Now that I ruminate on it more, it's actually kinda insane that no one's talking about Ivica Zubac. Clippers are the 3rd best defense in basketball and are 4.9 points per-100 better defensively with him on the court, while averaging career highs across the board in both actual and per-minute production (6th in overall D-EPM). On a team with a starting back court of Norm Powell and 35-year old James Harden. He needs some love in these DPOTY convos.

[Dacost]

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I think the media will make a push for Mobley especially using seeding to make their point.However Jaren Jackson Jr. Is pace to make all NBA with what his doing on both ends.

In my opinion what Jackson does for Memphis is alot more impactful then what Mabley does in Cleveland.

[Dacost]

The Thunder have the best defense in the NBA by 5 points and yet someone on that team isn't going to win DPOY. That what happens when Caruso, Chet, and Hartenstein are all disqualified I guess

Is not the best defensive TEAM of the year award.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Now that I ruminate on it more, it's actually kinda insane that no one's talking about Ivica Zubac. Clippers are the 3rd best defense in basketball and are 4.9 points per-100 better defensively with him on the court, while averaging career highs across the board in both actual and per-minute production (6th in overall D-EPM). On a team with a starting back court of Norm Powell and 35-year old James Harden. He needs some love in these DPOTY convos.

Yep. #2 defense and he’s got better metrics than Mobley and JJJ defensively. It’s nuts. Clippers #2 defense no Kawhi most of year yet zero hype.

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[Pipp33]

Centers: Wembanyama, Gobert, Camara, Isaac
Forwards: Adebayo, Draymond, Chet, Davis, OG, Dort, Amen Thompson
Guards: J-Dub, Caruso, SGA, Dillon Brooks, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Suggs

Where the hell is Dyson Daniels???????

[cupcakesnake]

Let's please not pull a Marcus Smart again. OKC being so dominant defensively no matter who's in and out of the lineup means that no one person on that team should win DPOTY. They should have at least 2-3 All-Defense selections though.

Had Chet been healthy, he'd have been an obvious candidate, but I don't think we'll see a Marcus Smart from the Thunder. There's too many strong options throughout the league. Jalen Williams deserves to be on ballots, but not at the top of them. Too many of the Thunder's best defenders are low minute.

Now that I ruminate on it more, it's actually kinda insane that no one's talking about Ivica Zubac. Clippers are the 3rd best defense in basketball and are 4.9 points per-100 better defensively with him on the court, while averaging career highs across the board in both actual and per-minute production (6th in overall D-EPM). On a team with a starting back court of Norm Powell and 35-year old James Harden. He needs some love in these DPOTY convos.

Yeah great pull. People sleep on Zubac because he's been such a known commodity on the same team, being solid but not spectacular as a low-minute starter on a team with big starry names and small ball proclivities. Only a small percentage of people have noticed he's slipped out of the solid into the spectacular this year, and the Clippers have embraced him as more of an anchor. His minutes are finally up, but he's also clearly improved in tons of areas. Sometimes we sleep on bigs and forget that centers get especially enhanced by accumulating veteran strength and NBA experience. Zu is a smarter, more experienced, stronger version of himself, and all of a sudden closer to an elite center than a role player.

[toooskies]

JJJ and Mobley both become eligible for massive salary bumps if they’re win DPOY this year.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Let's please not pull a Marcus Smart again. OKC being so dominant defensively no matter who's in and out of the lineup means that no one person on that team should win DPOTY. They should have at least 2-3 All-Defense selections though.

Had Chet been healthy, he'd have been an obvious candidate, but I don't think we'll see a Marcus Smart from the Thunder. There's too many strong options throughout the league. Jalen Williams deserves to be on ballots, but not at the top of them. Too many of the Thunder's best defenders are low minute.

Now that I ruminate on it more, it's actually kinda insane that no one's talking about Ivica Zubac. Clippers are the 3rd best defense in basketball and are 4.9 points per-100 better defensively with him on the court, while averaging career highs across the board in both actual and per-minute production (6th in overall D-EPM). On a team with a starting back court of Norm Powell and 35-year old James Harden. He needs some love in these DPOTY convos.

Yeah great pull. People sleep on Zubac because he's been such a known commodity on the same team, being solid but not spectacular as a low-minute starter on a team with big starry names and small ball proclivities. Only a small percentage of people have noticed he's slipped out of the solid into the spectacular this year, and the Clippers have embraced him as more of an anchor. His minutes are finally up, but he's also clearly improved in tons of areas. Sometimes we sleep on bigs and forget that centers get especially enhanced by accumulating veteran strength and NBA experience. Zu is a smarter, more experienced, stronger version of himself, and all of a sudden closer to an elite center than a role player.

When I said he is easily worth a 1st round pick early season or late last year I was laughed at.. with many saying he wasn’t even starting caliber or a top 30 center. He’s top 10 this year.

[cupcakesnake]

Let's please not pull a Marcus Smart again. OKC being so dominant defensively no matter who's in and out of the lineup means that no one person on that team should win DPOTY. They should have at least 2-3 All-Defense selections though.

Had Chet been healthy, he'd have been an obvious candidate, but I don't think we'll see a Marcus Smart from the Thunder. There's too many strong options throughout the league. Jalen Williams deserves to be on ballots, but not at the top of them. Too many of the Thunder's best defenders are low minute.

Now that I ruminate on it more, it's actually kinda insane that no one's talking about Ivica Zubac. Clippers are the 3rd best defense in basketball and are 4.9 points per-100 better defensively with him on the court, while averaging career highs across the board in both actual and per-minute production (6th in overall D-EPM). On a team with a starting back court of Norm Powell and 35-year old James Harden. He needs some love in these DPOTY convos.

Yeah great pull. People sleep on Zubac because he's been such a known commodity on the same team, being solid but not spectacular as a low-minute starter on a team with big starry names and small ball proclivities. Only a small percentage of people have noticed he's slipped out of the solid into the spectacular this year, and the Clippers have embraced him as more of an anchor. His minutes are finally up, but he's also clearly improved in tons of areas. Sometimes we sleep on bigs and forget that centers get especially enhanced by accumulating veteran strength and NBA experience. Zu is a smarter, more experienced, stronger version of himself, and all of a sudden closer to an elite center than a role player.

When I said he is easily worth a 1st round pick early season or late last year I was laughed at.. with many saying he wasn’t even starting caliber or a top 30 center. He’s top 10 this year.

Anyone who said he wasn't top 30 probably didn't have a serious opinion, or much knowledge of Zu.

I think that's the difference there though, Zu went from a top 30 center to a top 10 center. I always thought Zu was mega solid at what he did, but the Clippers were so into going small that it made him feel like a placeholder to people. A guy who could hold down the paint during the regular season.

Zu really took a leap on defense this year though. Part of it is just getting stronger and smarter, but part of it is the Clippers have given up on their wing-heavy schemes and embraced Zu's strengths. His rim defense is elite, but he's shown some scheme versatility. He's not just hanging in drop all day.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Had Chet been healthy, he'd have been an obvious candidate, but I don't think we'll see a Marcus Smart from the Thunder. There's too many strong options throughout the league. Jalen Williams deserves to be on ballots, but not at the top of them. Too many of the Thunder's best defenders are low minute.



Yeah great pull. People sleep on Zubac because he's been such a known commodity on the same team, being solid but not spectacular as a low-minute starter on a team with big starry names and small ball proclivities. Only a small percentage of people have noticed he's slipped out of the solid into the spectacular this year, and the Clippers have embraced him as more of an anchor. His minutes are finally up, but he's also clearly improved in tons of areas. Sometimes we sleep on bigs and forget that centers get especially enhanced by accumulating veteran strength and NBA experience. Zu is a smarter, more experienced, stronger version of himself, and all of a sudden closer to an elite center than a role player.

When I said he is easily worth a 1st round pick early season or late last year I was laughed at.. with many saying he wasn’t even starting caliber or a top 30 center. He’s top 10 this year.

Anyone who said he wasn't top 30 probably didn't have a serious opinion, or much knowledge of Zu.

I think that's the difference there though, Zu went from a top 30 center to a top 10 center. I always thought Zu was mega solid at what he did, but the Clippers were so into going small that it made him feel like a placeholder to people. A guy who could hold down the paint during the regular season.

Zu really took a leap on defense this year though. Part of it is just getting stronger and smarter, but part of it is the Clippers have given up on their wing-heavy schemes and embraced Zu's strengths. His rim defense is elite, but he's shown some scheme versatility. He's not just hanging in drop all day.

The funny thing though is I don’t know how much these breakouts are skill changes vs simply getting more touches, JVG schemes defensively, more minutes. ZU has been ready for this bigger role for years. Even NOW he doesn’t get nearly enough touches. The man is the only NBA player who uses the hook shot at an elite level and volume.

He just has no players besides Harden and now Simmons that get him the ball properly. He could be 20 ppg easily.