Rudy Gobert has won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year three times (2018, ‘19, ’21) and, based on the odds, he is well on his way to a fourth.
The Minnesota Timberwolves center’s odds to win the award opened this season at +1800. By the end of the calendar year, he was sitting at -115.
Three weeks ago, his odds shortened all the way to -900.
And now, with a little over a week left in the regular season, he’s the commanding odds-on favorite at -3500.
Averaging 12.9 rebounds per game — which is good for second in the league — Gobert’s 7-foot-1 presence in the paint has been a big reason Minnesota is currently battling for the top seed in the western conference.
Can anyone catch the three-time All-Star and six-time first team All-Defensive Team selection in the DPOY race?
Let’s take a look at the odds.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Odds*
Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: -3500 (bet $10 to win $10.29 total)
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers: +19000 (bet $10 to win $1,910 total)
Bam Adebayo, Heat: +19000 (bet $10 to win $1,910 total)
Anthony Davis, Lakers: +19000 (bet $10 to win $1,910 total)
*odds as of 4/4/2024
The one player with an outside chance to block Gobert from his fourth DPOY trophy is San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.
The NBA’s favorite for Rookie of the Year is averaging 10.5 boards and 3.5 blocks per contest and, on Feb. 23, became just the 15th player in history to amass a ‘5×5’ statline when he notched 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers.
And just this week, on April 2, in a head-to-head matchup with likely MVP-winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Wemby almost had a quadruple double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists and 9 blocks in a losing effort against the defending champs.
“He had like 600 blocks tonight, but we got the win,” Jokic exclaimed about Wembanyama’s defense.
“He blocked six, seven shots,” Jokic said. “But he’s a special player, and you always have to do special acts to score against those guys. But I think when he learns, and he figures it out, he’s going to be an even bigger problem.”
Despite the neophytes’ stifling play on the defensive end of the court, it appears even he’s conceding this year’s award to Gobert.
When French journalist Théo Quintard asked Wemby about his thoughts on contending for the DPOY this season, the Frenchman replied:
“I know that Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved. Let him win it now because after that it’s no longer his turn.”
While it’s admirable for the youngster to defer to his elders, the race is still not decided and Wembanyama’s odds have been shortening all season long.
Toward the end of December, Wemby’s odds were as long as +7500 at some books, and in February, he was still sitting at +2000 or longer.
Now, with ten days left in the season, his odds to win the award are +1100.
