5. Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns)

The third-year Suns wing regularly draws the opponents’ most prolific scorer as his defensive assignment. He has dealt with pick and roll ball handlers a league-high 219 times, limiting them to 0.91 points per possession and a scoring frequency of 42 percent.

4. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

Anthony Davis, in this spot last week, has missed the past four games and the team’s defense has sagged, contributing to a 1-3 record. But the Lakers lead the NBA in defensive rating (105.5) and James, already carrying such a load offensively, also leads the league in defensive win shares.

3. Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)

Shut down the Pacers for two postponed games. The big man still leads the NBA in blocked shots (3.5) per game and Indiana ranks second in blocks per game (6.2).

2. Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)

Gobert remains the favorite for DPOY. Because his work at that end of the floor remains central to what the Jazz are doing.

1. Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)

Sticking with Simmons in the first spot at least until we learn if his defense gets respected enough by the Eastern Conference coaches to earn All-Star reserve status. He leads the league in deflections (3.9) and loose balls recovered (1.5) per game.