The San Antonio Spurs have struggled this season, but the pain of losing has been quelled by how good rookie Victor Wembanyama has been. The 20-year-old rookie has been amazing on both ends of the court, but his defense, in particular, has been a complete game-changer. At just 20 years old, he’s leading the league in blocks.
Wembanyama has been so good that some believe he has a case to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. However, the Spurs have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league this year, so that case may not have many legs. Fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert is the odds-on favorite to win, as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense has been amazing.
When asked about the award race, Wembanyama said Gobert should win this year because he’s going to take home the trophy moving forward. (H/t Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News)
“I know that Rudy [Gobert] has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved,” Wembanyama said. “Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”
Wembanyama definitely has plenty of DPOY cases in his future.
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