SUMMARY
- Victor Wembanyama is leading the league in blocks and steals.
- Some fans claim that Wemby should win the DPOY award.
Should Victor Wembanyama be considered a legitimate candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award? As most NBA fans should know by now, Wemby is the hyped-up prospect from the 2023 NBA Draft and was selected with the first pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
Although the Spurs are not going to have much relevance in the postseason this year, there is no denying that Wemby is an otherworldly talent. As a result, he is currently the front-runner to win the ROTY award since he is clearly the best player from his draft class. While there is nothing wrong with Wemby winning the Rookie of the Year award, reports reveal that he also has a serious claim to the DPOY award.
Victor Wembanyama is making a case for the DPOY by leading the league in blocks
Even before joining the NBA, Wembanyama was extensively covered by the basketball media and even hyped up to be the next face of the NBA. This was something that fans had not seen occur since the time LeBron James was drafted. Perhaps this makes sense given that Victor is listed at 7’5 while possessing the handles and shooting abilities of a guard.
Victor Wembanyama already has more Steals and Blocks than the 2023 DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr. 🤯
Rookie DPOY incoming? 👀 pic.twitter.com/bD1SUsmJ1b
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 16, 2024
While it would certainly be amazing for Wembanyama to win the DPOY award, one should wonder if he truly deserves it given the current situation.
Should Wemby win the award over Rudy Gobert?
At the moment, it appears as if Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves is the front-runner to win the DPOY award. Although Wembanyama has put up better defensive and offensive numbers when compared to Gobert, fans pointed out that none of his efforts have translated to team success. After all, the Spurs are positioned dead last in the Western Conference.
He gets blocks yeah.
then when he has to guard big centers Embiid drops 70 on him and Sengun drops 45.
Oh and they’re the worst team in the west btw
Please stop meat riding based on name value
— Rational Fantasy takes (@FantasyBrains1) March 16, 2024
Anchoring the 23rd defense compared to Rudy anchoring the best by a wide margin please stop this
— Fan (@undercoverNBA) March 16, 2024
On the other hand, the Timberwolves are likely going to end this season as a top 3 team in the West. Therefore, there is no denying that Gobert’s defensive contributions have led to more team success. In any case, fans are left in splits as to whether Wemby should be given the award over his fellow countryman.
