NBA Defensive Player of the Year: December 1st, 2021 | Latest Power Rankings by Sportskeeda
The 2021-22 NBA season continues to march on, and we've seen impressive performances from many teams across the league.
The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors continue to battle for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Eastern Conference is also shaping up to be a challenging one. Teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat are battling for the top spot.
Many players, especially defenders, have started to make some noise across the NBA. The Defensive Player of the Year is proving to be an award that is going to have plenty of talented suitors. On that note, here's a look at this week's Defensive Player of the Year rankings.
#5 Mikal Bridges
Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - N/A
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 4; Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 21; Games won - 18; Games lost - 3
Last Week: PPG - 9.8, APG - 2.3, RPG - 5.0
Overall: PPG - 12.4, APG - 1.9, RPG - 3.9
Last Week: FG% - 55.2%, 3P% - 16.7%, FT% - 100.0%
Overall: FG% - 53.8%, 3P% - 39.1%, FT% - 84.0%
Phoenix Suns wing Mikal Bridges makes his debut appearance in the Defensive Player of the Year power rankings at fifth spot this week.
The Suns have continued to be one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as they haven't lost a game since October 23rd. The obvious stars in the team have done a great job carrying the load offensively. But Bridges has started to generate some serious buzz around the NBA, with his elite defensive plays.
The Man of Steal! 👋
@mikal_bridges with tonight’s @FanDuel Stat Line of the Game https://t.co/6nmSDylHwY
The young forward is a dominant force, with his combination of length and quickness as a defender. Bridges has quickly started to build a reputation around the NBA as one of the top young wing defenders in the league.
With the Suns continuing to put together long stretches of victories, expect the buzz around Bridges and his defensive ability to only get louder.
#4 Anthony Davis
Previous week’s NBA DPOY Power Ranking - #2
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 1; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 22; Games won - 11; Games lost - 11
Last Week: PPG - 22.3, APG - 3.0, RPG - 8.0
Overall: PPG - 24.3, APG - 3.0, RPG - 10.0
Last Week: FG% - 48.1%, 3P% - 33.3%, FT% - 54.5%
Overall: FG% - 51.8%, 3P% - 19.6%, FT% - 72.8%
After finding his way near the top of the Defensive Player of the Year power rankings in the last few weeks, LA Lakers forward Anthony Davis is in fourth place in this week's rankings.
Davis continues to be an impactful presence, with his performances on both sides of the floor. He has continued to be a lethal shot blocker for the Lakers, and his defensive versatility makes him a special defender on a nightly basis.
Always risky when AD's in the paint.
(📺: @SpectrumSN) https://t.co/23Le3Qo4Ly
The Lakers continue to try and get back on the right track, and climb up the rankings in the NBA Western Conference. Davis will have to play a key role if they are to accomplish that.
In his last week of NBA action, Davis averaged 22.3 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting at 48.1% from the field.