With the NBA season in flux, we only have a few options on the board at BetOnline. Luckily, there are still some futures on the board as awards will still be doled out at some point in the season. For now, let\u2019s take a look at the Defensive Player of the Year prop where Anthony Davis is the favorite for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The disruptive defensive presence of Anthony Davis has always been pronounced, dating back to before his NBA career began. The defense of Davis as a long-armed, agile, and mobile rim protector was why Kentucky won the 2012 college basketball national championship. Davis carried that defense into the NBA and has never really looked back. What is new about this season is that Davis is working in tandem with LeBron James, which makes his life a lot easier. James is able to handle various other defensive assignments, which takes some of the burden off Davis in ways which did not exist when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis\u2019s talents are able to shine through more, yet it is also clear that having improved teammates has put him in a better position to succeed. It is hard to gauge how this will affect the final voting. Voters could give Davis extra credit or take it away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is another superstar in the running for the award, alongside Davis. The case for Giannis begins with the fact that on the Bucks, there is no LeBron-level second superstar to accompany Giannis. Davis has LeBron to help him on the Lakers. Giannis is so clearly the main reason the Bucks are leading the Eastern Conference and are likely to get home-court advantage throughout the whole NBA Playoffs. One of the things which has to be kept in mind here is that if either Giannis or Davis gets NBA MVP \u2013 and Giannis is the favorite there \u2013 the other player might get the DPOY nod. To that extent, Davis is probably the favorite here with Giannis being a very close second. Yet, ultimately, it is too close to call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The center for the Utah Jazz isn\u2019t a good offensive player, unlike the three superstars on this list. However, he is an elite defender and has been for quite some time. Gobert\u2019s rim protection and flawless defensive instincts make him a formidable candidate, regardless of Davis\u2019s and Giannis\u2019s star power. Gobert should be able to finish in the top three in the balloting, and some voters are likely to put him second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a promising young player having a great season for a playoff team which has surpassed expectations. The Miami Heat were not expected to be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference. They were not expected to finish ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, which they are likely to do. Adebayo is part of a good team, which should help him collect some votes in this race. However, he is already in the most improved player race and has a better chance of winning that award. He probably won\u2019t finish in the top three for DPOY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the third superstar in the DPOY race. The problem with Embiid, though, is that the Philadelphia 76ers have had a very, very disappointing season. They won\u2019t even get home-court advantage in the first round, let alone the Eastern Conference playoffs. The struggles of the 76ers will reshape Embiid\u2019s achievements, whether fair or not. This is an undeniable obstacle for Embiid in the attempt to win this award. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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