Earlier in the season, when the Pacers were dominating the league with their D, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award was Roy Hibbert's to lose. Well, it appears Hibbert has lost his grip on the hardware.

According to our panel, Chicago's Joakim Noah has overtaken Hibbert as the best defender this season, and it's not even close.

The Bulls big man earned more than three times as many first-place votes as the Pacers' rim protector, who finished second in the voting.

Golden State's Andre Iguodala finished third.

Noah averaged 11.2 rebounds per game, 1.5 blocks per game and 1.2 steals per game this season for a team that boasts the second-best defensive efficiency mark in the NBA.

Here is the voting breakdown by our ESPN Forecast panel.

ESPN Forecast: Who should win the Defensive Player of the Year award?

Voters ranked their top three picks, with a 5-3-1 scoring system.

ESPN Forecast: Who will win the Defensive Player of the Year award?

Voters selected one name each