NBA Awards Race: Is OG Anunoby a dark horse DPOY?

Just when it looked like Toronto Raptors star OG Anunoby was finally going to start getting the respect he deserves from the larger NBA media as a whole, he has once again dipped back into the realm of perpetual anonymity. This comes at a time when his defense has been as good as ever.

While Anunoby, once a trade chip, has long been underrated due to the fact he doesn’t excel in the traditional counting box score stats that voters love so much, the fact that he came into this week leading the league in steals per game is a terrific arrow to have in his quiver.

Unfortunately, the fact that the Raptors are fighting for their play-in lives has given voters another excuse to look at Anunoby’s season with jaundiced eyes. The odds for Defensive Player of the Year reflect that Anunoby’s versatility has gone unnoticed once again.

While coach Nick Nurse vouching for his player shouldn’t be viewed as anything out of the ordinary, the fact that Anunoby has, without a shred of hyperbole, guarded Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, and Nikola Jokic in succession should get the bookies in Vegas looking at him.

NBA Awards race: Can Toronto Raptors SF OG Anunoby win DPOY?

According to Caesars Sportsbook, Anunoby is almost an afterthought in the DPOY race at +15000 odds. Mikal Bridges, Walker Kessler, and reigning DPOY Marcus Smart are among those who have identical odds. Once again, this competition is being dominated by rim-protecting big men.

Most books have either Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez or Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. as the favorite for this award, with both of them regularly swatting away two or three shots per game. Apparently, Anunoby’s exploits aren’t enticing enough to a voting pool that likely disregarded the Raptors very early.

Anunoby may not win the award, as Lopez and Jackson are certainly doing excellent jobs, but it seems like he is getting the short end of the proverbial stick here. He’s still elite to near elite at nearly every aspect of defensive play. It is incumbent on the voters to eventually realize this in the future, if not this year.