Wamban and Amazon dominate the defensive odds, with health becoming a key variable this season.
2026-02-17 05:08
February 17th - San Antonio Spurs forward Marcus Wernbanyama has become the frontrunner in the odds for Defensive Player of the Year. Last season, Wernbanyama missed out on the award due to insufficient playing time, but he has a chance to win it this season.
As of now, Viktor Axelsen leads the league in blocks per game, with a Defensive Box Plus/Minus of 3.4 , two percentage points higher than Chet Holmgren, who is right behind him . According to the latest odds, Holmgren is at +275 , while Rudy Gobert is in third place at +1400 , significantly behind.
Wahlgren's performance this season has been particularly noteworthy, leading the Spurs to the third-best defensive efficiency in the league. However, he has already missed 14 games due to injury, and if the Spurs want to win both playoff and regular season awards, he can only afford to miss a maximum of three more games.
In contrast, Holmgren boasts the league's best defense this season, averaging 2.4 blocks per game. Holmgren might only have a chance to overtake Wimbledon if he misses more than four games due to injury. However, most betting odds seem to have already factored in this risk, making Wimbledon the popular choice for Defensive Player of the Year this season.
Image source: Internet
