The 2025 race for DPOY was more open that normal, in part because a number of players were not eligible for the award. Players are required to play in at least 65 games in order to be considered for end-of-season awards; they also had to play at least 20 minutes in 63 of those games.

That requirement put several players out of contention, including Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined after the All-Star break with a blood clot in his shoulder after 46 games. But it left Mobley (71 games), Green (68 games) and Daniels (76 games) free to become the award’s three finalists.

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With Wembanyama out, the conversation around the award completely changed without a frontrunner. (Even while missing the final two months of the season, Wembanyama still lead the leagues in blocks, ending with 176 blocks.)

At the time, Memphis Grizzles center Jaren Jackson Jr. was an odds-on favorite for the award, but he did not end up making the final cut for the finalists.