NBA Defensive Player of the Year rankings: Green, Gobert injuries open up race

Injuries to multiple candidates have opened up the race for this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Here's a look at five players in the running for the honor with the second half of the 2021-22 campaign officially underway.

5. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Previous rank: N/A

Jackson has established himself as one of the NBA's best rim-protectors in just his fourth season. The Grizzlies forward has racked up a league-leading 138 swats and sits second in blocks per game (2.2). He's registered at least three rejections 19 times, including a pair of six-block games.

Jackson is in the 97th percentile among big men with a 3.9% block percentage, per Cleaning the Glass. Opponents are shooting just 49.1% against him on attempts within six feet of the basket, which is the second-best mark among players who've defended at least 200 field goals.

Jackson is also a disruptive presence on the perimeter as he uses his length and lateral quickness to contain guards. The 22-year-old's versatility has been an instrumental part of Memphis' eighth-ranked defense.

4. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

Previous rank: 1

A back injury has largely derailed Green's chances for a second Defensive Player of the Year award. The four-time All-Star has missed the Warriors' past 24 games and only recently returned for his first practice in nearly two months.

The fewest games played by a Defensive Player of the Year winner over a full NBA campaign is 56 by Rudy Gobert in 2017-18. Green, who's made 34 appearances with 20 games remaining, will fall short of that mark, but there's still a case to be made.

The Golden State forward is the heartbeat of the Association's top defensive unit. Green is tied for the team lead in charges drawn, third in deflections and fourth in loose balls recovered despite his extended absence. He's also among seven players in the league averaging at least one block and one steal.

Additionally, the Warriors have a stingy defensive rating of 101.5 with Green on the floor. Since the Michigan State product came out of the lineup Jan. 11, the team has surrendered 110.8 points per 100 possessions.

3. Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns

Previous rank: 4

Phoenix's third-ranked defense has a lot to do with Bridges' play. The fourth-year forward is fifth in net rating (10.1), sits 13th in defensive win shares (2.9), and ranks 20th in total steals (74). He also tops all Suns players in contested 3-point shots (171) and trails only Chris Paul in deflections (132).

Bridges takes on the opposing side's top scorers nightly. He frustrates them with his suffocating on-ball defense, uses his length to make shots more difficult, and makes his counterpart work just to possess the rock. The 25-year-old manages to maintain such a high level of intensity without fouling much.

"He defends on every level," Phoenix head coach Monty Williams said of Bridges on SiriusXM NBA Radio last December. "Now, he's gotten much better at guarding post-ups. ... He can guard 94 feet. He can guard on screens. He can guard in pindowns. He's a great off-ball defender.

"There's not much he can't do on the defensive end. I just think the world of him, and that's why we feel like he's - in so many ways - the glue of our team."

2. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Previous rank: 2

Gobert's health, along with voter fatigue, could prove costly in his bid for a record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. Still, it's hard to argue against the Frenchman as Utah's defense performs at an elite level whenever he's on the court.

The Jazz big man continues to be a dominant interior defender. Gobert is first in average blocks (2.3 per contest), fourth in total swats (107), and sixth in block percentage (6.2%). Only Jakob Poeltl is contesting more 2-point shots per game than the ninth-year center. Gobert is also limiting opponents to 52.1% shooting on attempts within six feet of the rim, which is the fifth-best clip among players who've defended a minimum of 250 field goals from that range.

Additionally, Gobert has been effective outside of the paint. His struggles against the Los Angeles Clippers' small-ball lineup in Game 6 of last season were well-documented, but it wasn't a true indication of his perimeter defense. In fact, Gobert often holds his own when forced to guard in space.

For the seventh straight season, Gobert is allowing less than a point per possession (0.94) on isolation sequences. He recently held Luka Doncic in check during a recent meeting, holding the Dallas Mavericks star to 1-of-3 shooting and forcing a shot-clock violation across four isolation sequences in the final frame, per Second Spectrum.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Previous rank: 3

Antetokounmpo is averaging 9.6 defensive rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and one steal over 52 appearances in 2021-22. He's second in defensive box plus-minus (3.6), tied for fourth in total defensive boards (497), and ninth in defensive win shares (3.0). With Antetokounmpo on the floor, Milwaukee is giving up 106 points per 100 possessions, which would be a top-five mark.

Opposing players are shooting 50.5% against Antetokounmpo on field goals less than six feet away from the basket. The six-time All-Star is one of 11 players who've contested at least 300 twos and 150 threes this season.

Antetokounmpo is also producing high-level defense while playing a career-high 43% of his minutes at the five. It's a scenario the Greek Freak probably didn't envision when the season began, yet it's further cemented his status among the league's premier defenders.

Antetokounmpo is frequently put into pick-and-roll drop coverage as the Bucks' main man in the middle. The reigning NBA Finals MVP has done a solid job guarding ball-handlers when those situations arise, allowing just 0.81 points per possession. Additionally, Antetokounmpo's ability to read the passer's eyes, along with his length, allows him to break up lob attempts.

Honorable mentions: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers)