For Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, there is “no doubt” in his mind on who should win the Defensive Player of the Year award this 2021-22 season. It's none other than Mikal Bridges.

Bridges has catapulted himself in the conversation among the league's best defenders this campaign. In fact, he was ranked no. 3 in the most recent update of the DPOY ladder on NBA.com. He often shoulders the task of guarding the opponents' top-scoring threat, and he does a great job at it.

The Suns are way better defensively when he's on the floor, and he's a big reason why they currently have the second-best defense in the league. With that said, Booker expressed belief that Bridges has the record and numbers to show to make his case for the award even though the criteria for it have changed over the years, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX.

“He's Defensive Player of the Year, no doubt,” Booker said after the Suns' 127-124 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

True enough Mikal Bridges is not getting enough respect for DPOY despite his performance. The conversations have been revolving around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green, and while they deserve it, it's confusing why the Suns youngster is often overlooked.

For what it's worth, it's not only Devin Booker who is campaigning for Bridges' DPOY case. Suns coach Monty Williams also made a strong argument why his player deserves the honor more than anybody else in the race.

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“He [Mikal Bridges] should be Defensive Player of the Year, number one. He doesn't duck a matchup, he plays every night, he guards everyone, plays 50 minutes, still produces on offense. I don't get into the Ironman thing. I just think the young man loves to play, he loves to work, and he's a winner,” Williams said.

“When you look at what he did at Villanova, he's doing the same thing here–just on a much bigger stage. He guards the toughest guys every single night without a blink, and everybody in that locker room appreciates what he does every single night. I’ll say it again, he should be the defensive player of the year.”

It remains to be seen if Bridges will be able to win the award, but there is no doubt he has made a strong case to be considered for it even though not a lot of people are talking about it.