With the conference finals in full swing, the NBA has released its early nominations for the 2018-19 Defensive Player of the Year award. While Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George have received plenty of love, it appears Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert will have a chance to defend his crown.

Antetokounmpo and George have already been named as nominees for league MVP. Gobert now joins them as the finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. via Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints.

This year's nominees hardly come as any surprise. Each player has been an elite defender in their own right throughout the entire season. It will be interesting to see which directions the votes ultimately sway.

Gobert is currently the reigning DPOY and has built up a solid resume to keep it that way for another year. He served as the anchor of the second-best defense in the NBA during the regular season after finishing second in total blocks (187) and second in defensive win shares (5.7). Although he may have been snubbed from the All-Star Game, it is safe to say that he would take solace in keeping his defensive crown.

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Gobert certainly faces some stiff competition this year. George is coming off an MVP-caliber campaign, which may have overshadowed just how great of defender he was this season. He finished the season ranked first in steals with a career-high 2.2 per game while leading the NBA in deflections (3.8) and loose-balls recovered (2.1).

Finally, there is Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is currently pegged as the front runner for MVP following a spectacular year on both ends of the floor. Not only has he been unstoppable on the offensive end, but he has also served as the driving force behind the Bucks' No. 1 -rated defense during the regular season. Regardless, it is safe to say he has much bigger concerns at the moment.