DPOY 2025 Odds and Predictions: Who Wins in Wemby’s Absence?

The Cavs’ forward is well deserving of his status as favorite in these NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds, as he had an excellent regular season for for the top seed in the East. It’s interesting that his teammatest clearly are pushing the narrative in his direction.

Darius Garland when talking about Evan Mobley for DPOY💀💀

“He doesn’t scream at the refs…I could go on twitter, or go on a podcast and do the same thing for my boy”pic.twitter.com/x9QwZljMMI

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 9, 2025

Mobley started lobbying for the award, as Green had, and his teammates are chiming as well. They know how important the 23-year-old is to their defensive schemes, and also to their NBA championship odds.

Mobley is 16^th in the league with 9.3 rebounds per game, tied for fifth in blocks with 1.5, and he’s added 0.9 steals. With him on the floor, the Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 111.7. Without Mobley, the defensive rating is 113.4 in 10 games, and when that number increases, it’s not a good thing. Overall, Cleveland is eighth in defensive rating at 111.1.

He can truly guard positions 1-5 on the court, which is massive in this NBA where teams switch the pick-and-roll on defense all the time. The Cavaliers are a good team defensively, but Mobley is the anchor and would be an excellent choice for the Defensive Player of the Year!

Green has been superb defensively, and it’s gotten the Warriors through some tough times. They were ninth in defensive rating before the All-Star break, just one spot behind Cleveland.

The anchor. The enforcer.

Congratulations to Draymond Green on being named the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month💪 pic.twitter.com/gfASNJTlyQ

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 10, 2025

Since the All-Star break, the Warriors are third in defensive rating, and the trade of Jimmy Butler has had a lot to do with it. But Green is still the defensive linchpin of the Warriors, even though the numbers might not suggest it. Green is averaging 6.1 rebounds, more than three less than Mobley, along with 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Most of Green’s defensive ability comes from just watching how he conducts the defense, much like a point guard on offense. His odds offer a decent return as well, as Green was -175 ten days ago. Green has had a fantastic year, and even better the last two months. But is it enough to get him his second DPOY?

Unlike Mobley and Green, Daniels doesn’t guard every position on the floor. He is 6’7”, but at around 200 pounds, Daniels can’t play in the post. But he makes up for it by making life miserable for anyone on the perimeter.

Dyson Daniels now has the most steals in a single season since Gary Payton in 1995-96.

Payton won DPOY that season. pic.twitter.com/A33FVAn5fw

— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) April 11, 2025

It might be even more important now as the NBA is very wing-heavy, and don’t play as much in the post. Daniels is an absolute menace against whomever he guards and has to be because Trae Young is a sieve on defense. The former New Orleans Pelican leads the league in steals with 3.0 per game, 1.2 more than second-placed Nikola Jokić of Denver.

You could also make an argument for Daniels for Most Improved, and the bookies agree! Daniels is now a massive favorite over Detroit’s Cade Cunningham in the NBA Most Improved Player odds. This is a considerable swing from a month ago.

Daniels might have to settle for that award as it looks like the DPOY will come down to Mobley and Green. But Daniels will be a terrifying perimeter defender for years to come.