2024-25 NBA Season Predictions: 5 Players who could lead the league in 'stocks'
The NBA regular season is set to tipoff on Tuesday night, and some of the league's biggest stars are ready to leave their impact on the 2024-25 season. Defense is a crucial element for any team aspiring to win a championship and many players make a significant impact by blocking shots and generating steals on the defensive end of the floor.
Let's take a look at five players who could lead the league in 'stocks' (steals + blocks).
5 Players who could lead the league in 'stocks'
5. Rudy Gobert
Gobert, the 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, could be considered an obvious pick, but there's a reason these players are some of the best in the NBA. Last season, Rudy Gobert became the third player in league history to win four DPOY awards.
He averaged 2.8 stocks per game, his ninth season with 2.5 or more stocks per game. Gobert’s high block numbers make him a strong candidate to lead the league in stocks.
4. Jarren Jackson Jr.
While Jarren Jackson Jr. 's block numbers took a dip in 2023-24, the Memphis Grizzlies big man posted a career-high in steals per game (1.2). The 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 2.8 stocks per game last season (1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks) and was a versatile threat defensively despite missing the NBA All-Defense team last season.
3. Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley's defensive output took a dip in 2023-24, as the former No. 3 overall pick missed 32 games dealing with injuries. Mobley was one of the top rim-protectors in 2022-23, earning first-team All-Defense honors and finishing third in DPOY voting, posting 2.3 stocks per game. Mobley is expected to take a year-four leap, coming off averaging a league-leading 3.3 blocks per game in the preseason.
2. Anthony Davis
After three straight seasons of being left off NBA All-Defense teams, Anthony Davis re-emerged as one of the NBA's top defenders. In 2023-24, Davis earned first-team All-Defense honors, averaging 3.4 stocks per game, which was second in the league. Davis has averaged 3.0 or more stocks per game in 11 of his 12 NBA seasons.
1. Victor Wembanyama
It seems like an obvious pick to choose the player who led the league in blocks just a season ago, but it's justified when discussing Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama finished with 254 blocks, the seventh-most blocks in a season by a rookie in NBA history. Year 2 is likely to see more of the same from Wembanyama as he looks to build on a historic rookie campaign, averaging a league-leading 4.8 stocks per game