Draymond Green doesn’t think Victor Wembanyama should be in the DPOY conversation…
San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has been so good that members of the media–and even some star players–have moved on from the Rookie of the Year discussion. Golden State Warriors stalwart, Draymond Green picks Wemby to win that award. He doesn’t think Wemby will win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, though.
“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,” the four-time NBA All-Star said on his Draymond Green show.
That Wembanyama is even in the DPOY discussion tells you all need to know about the season the 20-year-old is enjoying.
Victor Wembanyama in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation
The league leader in blocks for a while now, Wemby is averaging 3.4 per contest. His 1.3 steals per game are good for 12th in the entire NBA. Compare that to Cleveland Cavaliers big man, Jarrett Allen. The former Texas Longhorn has the third best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year, with an average of 1.1 blocks and 0.8 Steals per game.
Victor Wembanyama also matches up favorably to one of his best friends, who also happens to lead the odds for DPOY. Minnesota Timberwolves French star Rudy Gobert, who’s won the award three times, is tied for sixth in blocks at 2.1 per contest. He averages 0.6 steal per night.
But for four-time NBA champion Green, team success rises above for top individual defensive honors. The Timberwolves top the league in opponents points per game in leading the Western Conference Standings for the last couple of months.
By contrast, the Spurs are 13-48 this season.
“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,” Draymond Green added.
About the Author
Hector Ledesma has been covering the Spurs in San Antonio since 2005, but he has been following them for even longer than that. An award-winning journalist born and raised in San Antonio, Hector has worked across all types of television and radio platforms. His work extends online and through social media (@HectorLedesmaTV) where he continues that work with ClutchPoints.
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