NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds: Can Gobert reclaim defensive throne with new team?

It's been just over a month since the Warriors bested the Celtics in the NBA Finals, outlasting an elite defensive unit led by Marcus Smart, who became the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year in 26 years.

He's among the favorites to win it again this year, but the oddsboard is chock-full of talented big men primed to seize the award. Here are the odds to win the 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year at Barstool Sportsbook, along with a few of our favorite early values:

Robert Williams, Celtics (+600)

DPOY tends to reward players who have the greatest impact on the league's best defense. Last season, that was Smart, the de facto defensive captain for the stingiest unit in the NBA.

You could make a case that Williams was the true defensive anchor for the Celtics, though, and the stats back that up. He ranked second in the NBA in blocks per game (2.2), fourth in defensive box plus-minus (3.1), and fifth in defensive win shares (3.1) - all ahead of his backcourt teammate.

Yet Williams played just 61 games and was among many top contenders who fell by the wayside because of injuries. That remains a concern for Boston's springy big this year, but he should be considered the favorite if he can stay healthy, especially with the Celtics poised to extend - or even build upon - their defensive dominance.

Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (+700)

How could you not like this price on a three-time DPOY winner who has as much to prove as he has at any point in his decorated nine-year career?

The Timberwolves paid a bounty to pluck Gobert from the Jazz. He ranked in Utah's top three in defensive win shares in five of the last six seasons - including first-place marks in 2016-17 (6.0) and 2020-21 (5.2) and a third-place mark last season (4.3). He also led the league in defensive rebounding rate (36.3%) last season and blocked at least two shots per game for the eighth consecutive year.

His individual defensive rating (104.5) wasn't nearly as impressive as in years past, partly because of how terrible Utah's perimeter defenders were around him. With Gobert anchoring a long and athletic unit in Minnesota, there's plenty to like about this price on a perennial preseason favorite.

Matisse Thybulle, 76ers (+6000)

This award isn't typically friendly to long shots. It usually takes ridiculous statistical outputs to deserve consideration, and that tends to require starters' minutes - which are often in short supply for defensive specialists.

That's long been Thybulle's biggest issue, but the 76ers guard played 25.5 minutes per game last season and continued to post among the best stats in the entire league. The former first-rounder led the league in steal rate (3.4%) and somehow finished 15th in block rate (3.8%), becoming one of just two players (alongside Robert Covington) to rank in the top 15 in both metrics.

If Thybulle's minutes continue to tick up, he could easily lead the NBA in steals per game, which would seriously bolster his case. He tied for third (1.7) with Smart - among others - last year. As we saw then, elite defensive guards aren't the stay-away bets they used to be. It'll be Thybulle's year eventually, and at this price, I'd bet his recognition comes sooner rather than later.

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].