He actually did it.
Evan Mobley.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ young anchor officially secured the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, ending the reign of the traditional "massive" rim protectors and signaling a massive shift in how we look at the game. If you’ve been following the conversation around who won defensive player of the year nba, you know this wasn't just another predictable vote. It was a dogfight. For months, the lead swapped between Mobley, Atlanta’s breakout thief Dyson Daniels, and the ever-present, ever-vocal Draymond Green.
Honestly, it feels like the league finally caught up to what Cleveland fans have been screaming for two years. Mobley didn't just win; he became the second-youngest player in the history of the league to take this home. He's only 23. Let that sink in for a second. At an age where most guys are still trying to figure out how to not get lost in a pick-and-roll, Mobley was the primary reason the Cavaliers sat atop the Eastern Conference with a 64-win season.
Why Evan Mobley Won Defensive Player of the Year NBA
Numbers are one thing. Vibes are another. But in the NBA, it’s usually the advanced metrics that do the talking for the voters. Mobley finished the 2024-25 campaign averaging 1.6 blocks and 7.0 defensive rebounds per game, but those basic box score stats are sort of a lie. They don't tell you about the 10.4 shots he contested every single night. They don't show you the way perimeter players would literally turn around and pass the ball out of the paint the moment they saw his shadow.
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The voting wasn't even as close as people expected. Mobley pulled in 35 first-place votes, totaling 289 points. Dyson Daniels came in second with 197 points, largely fueled by his insane steal numbers (he was hovering near 3 steals a game at one point, which is basically 1990s levels of thievery). Draymond Green finished third, which honestly says a lot about his longevity and how much the media still values his "defensive quarterback" brain, even as his physical peak is in the rearview.
The Impact Beyond the Blocks
Mobley is a unicorn. We use that word too much, I know. But how else do you describe a 7-footer who can switch onto a lightning-fast guard like Tyrese Maxey on the perimeter and then recover fast enough to swat a layup at the rim? He anchored a Cleveland defense that allowed just 108.4 points per 100 possessions.
You’ve gotta look at the "gravity" he has. Most people talk about offensive gravity—the way Steph Curry pulls defenders toward him. Mobley has negative gravity. He pushes the offense away. Teams shot a miserable percentage at the rim when he was the primary defender, often settling for mid-range junk because the "Stifle Tower" (the new one, sorry Rudy) was looming.
- Age at win: 23 (joining the ranks of Kawhi Leonard and Dwight Howard).
- Team Record: 64 wins, 1st seed in the East.
- Key Stat: 10.4 contested shots per game.
The "Rudy Gobert" Elephant in the Room
We can't talk about who won defensive player of the year nba without mentioning the man who has four of these trophies sitting on his mantle. Rudy Gobert had a solid year for Minnesota, but there was a clear "voter fatigue" setting in. Plus, the league is changing. The "drop coverage" big man who stays glued to the paint is becoming a bit of a liability in a world where everyone shoots 30-footers.
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Mobley represents the evolution. He’s mobile. He’s fluid. He doesn't look like he's working hard because his strides are so long and his timing is so precise. While Gobert is a wall, Mobley is more like a high-tech security system that covers the whole house.
The Controversy: Was Dyson Daniels Robbed?
If you spend any time on NBA Reddit or Twitter, you've seen the "Dyson was robbed" posts. And look, I get it. Daniels was putting up historic defensive numbers in Atlanta. He had "best hands in the league" written all over him. He was a nightmare for point guards.
But the DPOY award almost always goes to a rim protector. It’s just the math of the game. A guy who can alter 10 shots at the rim is statistically more valuable than a guy who gets 3 steals. Is it fair? Maybe not. But until the league changes how they value perimeter defense, the "Big Man Bias" is going to stay.
Draymond Green even talked about this on his podcast, basically saying that while Mobley deserved it, the league needs to find a way to reward guys like Daniels or Luguentz Dort who "die on screens" every night to keep the defense afloat.
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What’s Next for the DPOY Race?
So, Mobley has the trophy. He's the king of the mountain for now. But the 2025-26 season is already looking like a bloodbath.
Victor Wembanyama is the obvious threat. He finished second last year as a rookie and is currently leading the league in blocks again. If the Spurs can actually win some games and move up the standings, Wemby might win the next five of these. Then you have Chet Holmgren in OKC. The Thunder have the best defense in the league right now, and Chet is the reason why. He’s playing at an All-NBA level and his advanced stats are actually better than Mobley’s were at this point last year.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you're looking to track the next winner or just want to sound smarter at the bar, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Team Seed: The DPOY almost always comes from a top-3 defensive team. If a guy is a great defender on a bad team (like Wemby was his rookie year), he won't win.
- Health Matters: You have to play at least 65 games now to be eligible for these awards. One sprained ankle can kill a DPOY campaign.
- The "Eye Test" vs. Analytics: Voters are leaning more into "Defensive Box Plus-Minus" and "Defensive Win Shares" than just blocks. Check those stats on Basketball-Reference to see who is actually impacting winning.
Mobley’s win wasn't just a fluke. It was a coronation. He’s the centerpiece of a Cleveland team that is built to win now, and his ability to defend 1 through 5 is the blueprint for every center coming into the league today.
Keep an eye on the injury reports and the defensive rating leaderboards. The race for next year is already heating up, and with guys like Chet and Wemby breathing down his neck, Mobley will have to be even better to repeat. He's got the talent. He's got the team. Now he's got the hardware to prove he's the best in the world at stopping the ball.