Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has never been the one to shy away from voicing his opinion.
On the latest episode of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, the four-time NBA champion suggests that the Spurs' poor team defense should disqualify Wembanyama from winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.
.@Money23Green tells us why he doesn't have Wemby winning DPOY this season pic.twitter.com/rcizeVbG0L
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 6, 2024
"He'll have these numbers and opportunities to win Defensive Player of the Years. I personally don't think that is this year. Even if [Minnesota Timberwolves center] Rudy Gobert wasn't having the year that he's having and their team wasn't having the season that they're having, I still don't think you can give that award to somebody who's on the 24th-best defense in the league," Green stated.
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Rudy Gobert Vs. Victor Wembanyama DPOY Award gets a French Invasion
The Defensive Player of the Year has a little bit of French flavor to it.
Wembanyama has built a solid case for DPOY even without the team wins to back it up.
The 20-year-old Frenchman is averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals per game; all while leading the league in blocks at 3.4 blocks per contest.
He is also ranked 12th in rebounds per game, 14th in steals, 10th in defensive win shares, and is third in defensive rating within the NBA.
Compared to Rudy Gobert, who has built up a reputation for being an elite defensive player with three Defensive Player of the Year Awards, is averaging 12.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks per game, and also leads the NBA in defensive win shares.
Green's argument is that the Timberwolves have a better record, 49-13, than the Spurs, who are dead last in the Western Conference.
Green doesn't discredit Wembanyama's ability in the slightest, alluding that he would go on to win several awards throughout his career.
But this may not be the year to crown him DPOY this early in his career.
Still, it is extremely impressive that Wembanyama is in his rookie season and is being considered for such prestigious awards. With Rudy and Wemby's close relationship, it'll be interesting to see if the young prodigy can ever surpass his master.
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