Warming up…
About this Board
NBA Deep Cut #31, Saturday, October 24: “Name an NBA Defensive Player of the Year.” The prompt had 27 valid answers, and nobody played it that day. Correct answers score more the fewer people name them, so the deepest cuts are the ones worth the most.
Answers and recap (spoilers)
Nobody named
- Ben Wallace: Won in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06
- Dikembe Mutombo: Won in 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2000-01
- Dwight Howard: Won in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
- Rudy Gobert: Won in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2023-24
- Hakeem Olajuwon: Won in 1992-93, 1993-94
- Dennis Rodman: Won in 1989-90, 1990-91
- Kevin Garnett: Won in 2007-08
- Kawhi Leonard: Won in 2014-15, 2015-16
- Gary Payton: Won in 1995-96
- Michael Jordan: Won in 1987-88
- Alonzo Mourning: Won in 1998-99, 1999-00
- Mark Eaton: Won in 1984-85, 1988-89
- Draymond Green: Won in 2016-17
- Sidney Moncrief: Won in 1982-83, 1983-84
- Michael Cooper: Won in 1986-87
- David Robinson: Won in 1991-92
- Tyson Chandler: Won in 2011-12
- Metta World Peace: Won in 2003-04
- Marc Gasol: Won in 2012-13
- Marcus Camby: Won in 2006-07
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Won in 2019-20
- Marcus Smart: Won in 2021-22
- Joakim Noah: Won in 2013-14
- Alvin Robertson: Won in 1985-86
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: Won in 2022-23
- Evan Mobley: Won in 2024-25
- Victor Wembanyama: Won in 2025-26
Missed it? Every past day is in the NBA archive, ready to play blind. Here’s how scoring works.