Draymond Green does think that San Antonio Spurs rising star Victor Wembanyama is running away with the Rookie of the Year award. But when it comes to the Defensive Player of the Year honor, the Golden State Warriors forward has a problem.
Wembanyama is currently in the Top 3 when it comes to the DPOY race, with many bookmakers putting him at second only behind Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. Green, nonetheless, doesn’t think Wemby is deserving to be in such battle
Victor Wembanyama’s DPOY Case With San Antonio Spurs
Wembanyama is averaging a league-leading 3.4 blocks per game. Using his 7-foot-4 frame, the Frenchman just block shots at a high rate, with many struggling to even get past him whenever he’s guarding the rim.
Wemby’s presence alone forces opponents to take low-percentage shots or go to the mid-range or 3-point line instead of attacking the basket.
To further solidify his claim for the Defensive Player of the Year, the 20-year-old is putting up 1.3 steals per game. That is tied for 11th in the league, even better than some players like LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards and Scottie Barnes to name a few.
Looking at the numbers alone and how much he has been helping the Spurs’ defense, a case can certainly be made that Wembanyama deserves to be in the DPOY race.
Draymond Green Makes Case Why San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Shouldn’t Win DPOY
Draymond Green, however, doesn’t see it that way. While he acknowledged Victor Wembanyama’s incredible numbers, the fact of the matter is the San Antonio Spurs lag in overall defense compared to other teams.
With that said, for Green, Wembanyama’s defense hasn’t had much of an impact on San Antonio. Of course that’s not on Wemby alone, but to become a truly elite defensive player, the Warriors star said it should reflect on the team as well.
As of time of writing, the Spurs rank 24th in defensive rating in the NBA. In comparison, the Minnesota Timberwolves are the no. 1 defensive team behind Rudy Gobert.
“He’s currently second in odds to win Defensive Player of the Year, although I can’t quite agree with that because they have the 24th best defense in the league,” Green explained.
“Now that’s where you kind of get into like his team is not that good, they’re young and blah blah blah, but what he’s doing is incredible. But, you just can’t move the line like that, like you’re not allowed to just because he’s young and the team is bad, a guy on the 24th best defense in the league can win Defensive Player of the Year. I don’t agree with that, that’s moving the line too far.”
Green definitely makes a good point here. To become DPOY, individual numbers and team performance matter.
Of course it’s still likely that Wemby finishes as a runner-up in the DPOY race, with Gobert seemingly a lock to win already. But who knows.
Regardless, this shouldn’t take away anything from Wembanyama and what he has done so far. Considering his potential, a ton of DPOY and other awards await him as he continues to grow with the Spurs.
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