Joel Embiid
There were several fans, voters and other experts alike that felt that Joel Embiid was deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year Award last season. Especially considering that Rudy Gobert was out of commission for a significant part of the early season, there’s certainly some merit to the opinion that he was snubbed.
Still, when all was said and done, Embiid appeared in only seven more games than Rudy and Gobert dominated the votes. While the Stifle Tower finished with 466 total points in the DPOY voting, Embiid only turned in 163 as runner-up.
But Embiid is about as competitive as they come and will almost certainly be aiming to assert himself further on both ends of the floor, eyeing the DPOY as a trophy he’d love to take home. Embiid is always quick to trash talk opposing players, including their inability to score on him, so you can rest assured that he takes pride in his defense and pursuit of the recognition.
In a lot of ways his claims are often accurate, as there’s no denying that he’s a tremendous defender. Last year, he put up nearly two blocks per game while posting an incredible defensive rating of 99.7. His amazing individual efforts led to Philadelphia boasting the third best defensive rating as a team of 102.0.
Embiid isn’t frightened of anyone, and can shut down opposing bigs or guards with ease in more situations than not. Not only that, but his hilarious and outspoken personality have won him exceptional popularity, which could go a long way in helping him challenge Gobert for the prestigious award after just falling short last season.