Jalen Suggs and Domantas Sabonis receive votes for NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Jalen Suggs and Domantas Sabonis were among 10 players to receive a vote for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. The former Gonzaga standouts each had one third-place finish.

Suggs, who also finished eighth in the Most Improved Player race, averaged 1.4 steals (ninth in the NBA) and finished in the top 20 in defensive rating, a statistic that estimates points allowed per 100 possessions . The third-year pro also had the 18th-best defensive box plus/minus, which is similar to a defensive rating but takes into account a player’s contributions above those of a league-average player.

Suggs’ energy and relentless ball pressure helped set the tone for a young Orlando Magic (47-35) team that ranked third in defensive rating and allowed the third-fewest points per game this season. Orlando made the playoffs as a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round after losing Game 7 earlier this week. Suggs was second on the team in the playoffs, scoring 14.7 points per game.

Perhaps the most surprising player to be named Defensive Player of the Year was Sabonis, who is known more for his offensive versatility than anything else. The 28-year-old received the same number of votes as Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will likely be named to his sixth All-NBA defensive team despite not finishing at the top of the rankings in most statistically associated categories with defense. However, Sabonis finished fifth in defensive box plus/minus and led the NBA in rebounds.

Sabonis is nothing short of a lock to earn All-NBA honors in back-to-back seasons after another historic campaign with the Sacramento Kings. The seven-year pro posted 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game to lead the league in triple-doubles (26) and double-doubles (77).

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert took home the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for the fourth time in his career, tying him for the most all-time games with Basketball Hall-of-Famers Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo. The 6-foot-4 Frenchman was sixth in blocked shots and second in rebounds per game as the Timberwolves boasted the league’s best scoring defense and held their opponents to the lowest field goal percentage.

Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo finished third in the voting. The former Kentucky standout is the only player to rank in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year in the last five years.