- Giannis Antetokounmpo has +1000 odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year.
- Jaren Jackson led the NBA in blocks last season and has +1200 odds to win DPOY.
- Joel Embiid’s odds to win the DPOY are +1400.
MILWAUKEE – Following his strong run in the playoffs, Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is sitting with the shortest odds for the 2022-23 NBA defensive player of the year. However, there are plenty of All-Star caliber players that have +1000 odds or more to win that offer tremendous value.
Three players that all sit at +1000 or more to win the DPOY include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Joel Embiid. All of who have been recognized as defensive anchors in the league in recent seasons.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1000)
It is hard to see why Giannis’ gambling odds are so long considering he has been recognized for his defense by the league on many occasions.
He won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 with +395 preseason odds, and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the last three seasons.
He is also coming off of a spectacular season where he averaged the sixth-most rebounds per game (11.6), seventh-best defensive rating on the season (106.3), and 11th most blocks per game (1.4).
Giannis was also sixth in the voting for DPOY last season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (+1200)
It is easy for Jaren Jackson Jr. to get overlooked being that he is not an All-Star like the other players on this list. However, there is no hiding that he is one of the elite defenders in the NBA.
Jackson was the leader in blocks last season (2.5 per game). He also finished in the top-5 for defensive ratings at 105.3.
Named to his first All-NBA Defensive First Team last season, Jackson Jr. finished fifth in DPOY voting with 99 total points.
Joel Embiid (+1400)
Although Embiid did not finish with a single vote to win the DPOY last season, his odds could be the ones that offer the most value.
He is a three-time All-Defensive Second Team member and has been a force in the paint averaging double-digit rebounds for the last five seasons.
Looking at his performance last season, he was consistent all around with the third-highest defensive rating (105.3), 1.5 blocks per game, and 1.1 steals per game (career-high).
It also helps that the Philadelphia 76ers were in the top-15 for opponent points per game in the paint at just 46.7 ppg.