Why missing a third of the season should make Gobert a lock for DPOY

Since two-time winner Kawhi Leonard has played just nine games, and reigning holder Draymond Green has battled statistical dips and injuries of his own, this season is set to produce a brand-new NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

For the most part, the serious candidates are big men; with all due respect to Paul George's activity on the perimeter and in the open court, his Oklahoma City Thunder degenerated defensively when Andre Roberson went down. Marcus Smart punched a picture frame.

That likely leaves one of Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid, or Anthony Davis to take home the hardware.

It's not close, however, and it shouldn't be. Gobert is far and away the most deserving, which is noteworthy because he will finish the season having missed at least 26 of a possible 82 games. Though that's not completely without precedent for major NBA award winners, Gobert's DNP count would be high.

The most regular-season games he can play is 56. If he then captures Defensive Player of the Year, that would be a record low in a non-lockout season for either that award or MVP.

As of Wednesday, Gobert's Utah Jazz sit seventh in the West with eight to play. It's taken a 24-6 record since Jan. 19 to get them there, and that hot streak lines up with Gobert's return from a knee injury.

The proof is in the defensive pudding. Since he came back, the Jazz are giving up just 97.5 points per 100 possessions, a league best over that period by almost five points. In games without the "Stifle Tower" this season, Utah has a 108.2 defensive rating. His presence in the middle further manifests itself in the Jazz allowing the NBA's fewest second-chance points, along with a defensive rebound percentage of 81.

Individually, Gobert leads the league in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus by a healthy margin. He's second in personal defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference, and ranks third in blocks. Like LeBron James with MVP opinion, Gobert isn't afraid to lobby for his own cause.

"I've been the most impactful player this year," Gobert told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "... There's a lot of things you don't see on the stats."

That seems to include inspiring his teammates defensively. While Gobert's pairing with traditional power forward Derrick Favors elicits groans from analytics types, Favors has been tremendous on D (and made it work offensively). And Jae Crowder, who was basically booed out of Cleveland, has rediscovered his footing in Salt Lake City.

Some feel Gobert was robbed by Green for DPOY last season, when the Frenchman led the NBA in blocks and defensive win shares. That shouldn't happen this year. While Davis has been excellent, he almost deserves more consideration for MVP than top defender given his workload in the absence of DeMarcus Cousins.

Embiid's been terrific and he's the catalyst for the Philadelphia 76ers' top-five defense, but he's enjoyed significant help from plus defenders like Robert Covington, Ben Simmons, and Amir Johnson.

Gobert's value this season is rooted in the time he missed - and how much better they've been with him back.