Victor Oladipo
This one may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but don’t sleep on Victor Oladipo nor on his defensive impact. Oladipo earned All-NBA Defensive First Team Honors last season, and for good reason.
He led the NBA in steals with an astounding 2.4 per contest. Victor Oladipo was a consistent irritant when placed on opposing guards, as he forced them into difficult shots, or simply took the ball away from them completely with his quick hands or craftiness in passing lanes. Not only that, but Oladipo proved himself as deceptively good at blocking shots for a guard, putting up nearly a block per contest.
Not only that, but Oladipo drastically made his Indiana Pacers team better on defense when he was on the court, with a defensive rating nearly eight points per 100 possessions better with Victor in action rather than sidelined.
He’s probably among the most darkhorse options on this list, but make no mistake that he deserves consideration. As Oladipo continues to be a steals king, lock down opponents on the perimeter and swat shots away, even from much taller opponents, expect him to continue to be on the radar for the All-NBA Defensive Team and possibly to even challenge for the DPOY crown.