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Out of all of the awards given out at the end of the NBA season, the Defensive Player of the Year award is always the most debatable race because everyone has a different definition of what makes a player the best defender in the league. Blocked shots obviously go a long way, but the intangibles that don't show up in the stat sheets, like a player's ability to force the ball out of his opponents hands, also play a factor. Just like how it goes with the real voting for Defensive Player of the Year, NBA media members also have a tough time figuring out who to pick in the preseason poll for this award.
With this said, the choice ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season could be a lot cleared, especially after Rudy Gobert defeated Victor Wembanyama in the race for Defensive Player of the Year during the 2023-24 season.
Gobert has been one of the best rim-protecting big men in the NBA over the last several years. The 32-year-old won this award three times as a member of the Utah Jazz, and Gobert once again won the award this past season with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being the anchor of their top-rated defense.
However, there was a big debate about who should've actually won this award, as Wembanyama's overall defensive impact from an individual standpoint seemed to outpace Gobert's. Ultimately, the Timberwolves contending for the 1-seed in the West and owning the league's best defensive rating pushed Gobert over Wembanyama, who only won 22 games with the San Antonio Spurs.
There was a lot of noise made about Gobert throughout the offseason in regards to his overall defensive abilities, and when he was benched in favor of Wembanyama on the French national team in the Olympics, even more discussions took place about if voters got the Defensive Player of the Year award wrong.
Although nobody has the answer to who will receive the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, a total of 30 different media members across the NBA, some of whom are official NBA voters, participated in ClutchPoints' preseason media poll. Along with being asked about their predictions for the 2025 NBA Finals, their preseason pick for MVP, and other awards, these media members were also tasked with choosing the player that they believe will be deemed the best defensive player in the league.
Contrary to previous voting results, there was a clear-cut favorite, and the media chose last year's runner up to stand over everyone else entering the new season.
ClutchPoints' 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year media poll results
1. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) – 80.0%
2. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) – 10.0%
T3. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) – 3.3%
T3. Herb Jones (New Orleans Pelicans) – 3.3%
T3. Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City Thunder) – 3.3%
Defensive Player of the Year is Victor Wembanyama's to lose
From a statistical standpoint, Gobert likely had a better season than Wembanyama in terms of the 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year award. Whereas Wemby led the league in blocks, Gobert led the league in defensive rating and defensive win shares, two categories that hold a lot of weight in determining the best defensive player in the league every season.
At the same time, the eye test certainly leaned Wembanyama's way. The young star recorded at least seven blocks in eight different games last season, one of which was the only 10-block game recorded by a player this season. Chet Holmgren was the next closest player with as many seven-block games, as he did so three different times.
As good as he was protecting the paint a season ago, Wembanyama proved to be one of the league's best defensive players with his ability to simply change his opponent's point of attack. Due to the fact that Wemby could step out on the perimeter and in the mid-range area to defend, so many teams were forced to rush their shots and settle for contested jumpers late in the shot clock because they simply couldn't get around him to score in the paint. Contrary to Gobert, who is only a defensive threat in the paint, Wembanyama stepped out of his comfort zone to deliver defensive stops time and time again.
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Those who participated in ClutchPoints' preseason media poll ahead of the 2024-25 season view Wembanyama as the clear favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year award after receiving 80 percent of the vote. In fact, Gobert didn't even receive a single vote despite winning the award four times over the last seven seasons.
“How is Wembanyama not the best defender in the NBA?” one media poll voter told ClutchPoints. “Some will argue that height doesn't win the award, but if you simply watch this kid play, he defends everyone from any spot on the court as good as guys like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White on the perimeter. Gobert was the best defensive player on the best defensive team in the league last year, but Wembanyama was the best defensive player in the league. That will be proven in his sophomore season.”
It seems like the media is extremely high on Wembanyama's potential heading into his second season, as he was also chosen to be the most likely player to make his first All-Star appearance during the 2024-25 season.
Wembanyama's journey to becoming the face of the league continues, and it will be very interesting to see what he does next in his second season. While others will be involved in the race for Defensive Player of the Year, it will be hard to dethrone Wembanyama from the top of the charts as long as he is healthy.
Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis receive love over Rudy Gobert
Does anyone have a shot at winning the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award over Wembanyama? Of course, Gobert is going to be in this conversation, but ClutchPoints' NBA preseason media poll also has Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo as two viable candidates for the award as well.
Davis had arguably his best season in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform last year simply because he played in 76 total games. This is the most games Davis has played in since joining the Lakers, and this is certainly a milestone since durability and availability have been a big problem for him through the years.
The 178 blocks Davis recorded during the 2023-24 season were the most he's had since leading the league with 193 blocked shots during the 2017-18 season. He also finished fourth in the league in total blocks last season, as well as fourth in defensive win shares.
When it comes to getting stops and protecting the rim, Davis is undoubtedly one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. Davis has quick instincts and defends the perimeter really well, contrary to Gobert and other defensive-minded centers. That is why he finished fourth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year last season.
In the Eastern Conference, Adebayo has long been a player who views himself as the best defensive player in the league. Like Davis, Adebayo uses his lateral quickness and instincts to keep opponents in front of him on the perimeter. While the block and steal numbers may not be comparable to Wembanyama and others, Adebayo is one of those players that is an All-Defensive player based on the eye test.
The Miami Heat always lean on Adebayo to make big defensive plays late in games, and he can take on the assignment of guarding both frontcourt and backcourt players. That is why Adebayo has finished inside the top five of the Defensive Player of the Year voting each of the last five seasons.
If there is one takeaway from the results of the NBA preseason media poll in regards to the Defensive Player of the Year award, it is that this seems to be Victor Wembanyama's award to lose. This could be the first of many seasons in which Wemby takes home this award.
