Roundtable: Who Will Be the Mavs Defensive Player of the Year?

4 of 7

January 14, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 116-98. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Andrew Bogut

“Andrew Bogut. This will be a huge part of why he will win the MVP. Andrew Bogut and Salah Mejiri will certainly pick up Dirk’s slack on the defensive end. I see Bogut averaging around 2.5 blocks a game this year. That’s big time.”

-Austin Denius

“Bogut. He’s the best defensive center we’ve had since Tyson Chandler, and will anchor a surprisingly effective defense this year. His shot blocking, physicality, and mean streak is something our defense has been missing for years. He also has good defensive chemistry with Barnes from their days in Oakland, which is a very underrated quality. Since they already know how the other works it’ll shorten up a lot of rotations which will really help Dirk stay afloat defensively. If he stays healthy will be our defensive player of the year.”

-Shawn James

Next: Wesley Matthews