With the season now in the playoffs, many are already looking forward to finding out who will win the league's individual honors. One of them is the Defensive Player of the Year Award, which is given to the best defender of the regular season.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, is considered one of the favorites to win the award, especially after leading the league in blocks per game. He recently had a Q&A with ESPN's Tim MacMahon, and made the case for himself why he deserves to win it this year. He cited his ability to affect shots even when he's not the primary defender of an offensive player, as they are aware of his presence and shot blocking prowess.

“Draymond [Green] is great at guarding multiple positions and switching, but for myself, I impact people that I'm not guarding. You know? When I'm out there and one of the guards has the ball, I'm not the primary defender, but he knows that if he drives, I'm going to be there.”

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The Stifle Tower is having his best season as a pro, with averages of 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He has also been one of the reasons why the Jazz are back in the postseason and have locked up the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

After injuring his leg after only 17 seconds into Game 1 vs. the L.A. Clippers on Saturday, the Salt Lake City faithful are hoping it is not serious and he can play in their next game, as the team needs him to be at his best, especially on the defensive end.