When San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama went down with an injury that made him ineligible for regular season awards, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green stated that he was coming for the Defensive Player of the Year award. And while he ultimately fell short, Green sure gave it a hell of a run.
The NBA announced on Thursday that Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award, after averaging 1.6 blocks (and just 2.0 fouls) per game for a top-10 defense. New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, who nearly lapped the field in steals this year (he finished with 229, with the next closest player only swiping 131 steals) finished second, while Green was awarded third.