Dallas Mavericks: Who wins Defensive Player of Game belt most this season?

The Dallas Mavericks want to be a better defensive team. They led the league in offensive rating last season but finished middle of the road in defense before being bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs want to jump into title contention, and it will take defensive improvement to get there. They have an elite rim protector in Kristaps Porzingis but needed to up their perimeter defense.

Dallas emphasized it with their offseason additions. Josh Richardson, James Johnson, Wesley Iwundu, and Josh Green are all plus defenders that make an impact. Fans have seen internal growth from Luka Doncic and the Mavs too. They will be a better defensive team, but can they reach their goal of jumping into the top ten?

Coach Rick Carlisle incentivized defense a bit more on Jan. 20 when he handed out the Defensive Player of the Game championship belt for the first time. Willie Cauley-Stein earned the honors. Fans can read more here.

Which player wins the Dallas Mavericks Defensive Player of the Game most?

The Mavs will be handing out the belt after every win this season. They are 14 games into a 72-game campaign. If the Mavericks get healthy and play up to their potential, the belt could change hands 35 to 40 more times during the 2020-2021 regular season, and that makes no mention of their playoff wins.

Willie Cauley-Stein earned the first honors, but is he the favorite to win the most? What other players are in the running? Let us take a closer look at the top candidates and attempt to predict who wins the Defensive Player of the Game championship belt most often for the Dallas Mavericks this season.

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