With the NBA in the final full week of the regular season, the\u00a0Most Valuable Player race has been too close to call. The Rookie of the Year may be all but settled. Lately, there’s been discussion about the rightful contenders for Defensive Player of the Year. Pretty soon, there will be more focus placed upon those player awards, impassioned fans and media members making their cases and votes.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, it’s a perfect time to make predictions about who’ll make the all-league teams (All-NBA<\/a>, All-Rookie<\/a>, All-Defensive) as well. The focus of this article will be on the latter.<\/p>\n Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels is likely to win<\/a> the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year award. A master thief, his penchant for pickpocketing and picking off passes has made him one of the most popular players in the league. Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley<\/a>, capable of guarding players anywhere on the floor, is another candidate for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award. However, Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a> is on the same plane as Mobley. He’s a bit less fluid, but even more disruptive.<\/p>\n2024-25 NBA All-Defensive Team Predictions<\/h2>\n
First Team<\/h3>\n
Dyson Daniels (ATL), Evan Mobley (CLE), Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM), Amen Thompson (HOU), Lu Dort (OKC)<\/h5>\n