San Antonio Spurs' rookie Victor Wembanyama got real on this year's Defensive Player of the Year race, admitting that countryman Rudy Gobert should win his fourth DPOY honor this season. However, Wemby also dropped a clear message for the future.
“I know that Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved. Let him win it now because after that it's no longer his turn."
Gobert is averaging 13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks this season. While his defensive numbers aren't as eye-popping compared to his time on the Jazz, he has led the Wolves to the best defense in the NBA and kept them as one of the top seeds in the West all year.
Gobert likely wouldn't have won the award in other years with this performance, but there is no clear contender. The two other best defensive players in the NBA have been Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama himself, with both players being on teams with unimpressive team records. Other contenders like Bam Adebayo suffer from a similar fate.
This would be Gobert's fourth DPOY honor if he ends up winning the award, solidifying his name as one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen. It would tie Rudy for most DPOY wins of all time with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace.
Victor Wembanyama Is Eyeing A Lot Of DPOY's In The Future
Victor Wembanyama has already shown the world that he is a DPOY-caliber player as a rookie. He likely will receive an All-Defense selection despite the Spurs being rooted to the bottom spot in the West, but that's because his defense has been exceptional.
Wemby leads the NBA in total blocks as a rookie with 197. He's averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals, proving to be an all-around threat as a defensive player. He's a naturally weak on-ball defender due to his size compared to shifty NBA guards, but his gigantic frame and wingspan allow him to be far more competitive in those situations than expected.
His freakish wingspan and elite anticipation of the ball allow him to be a menace in passing lanes. Wembanyama is already pulling off incredible feats, like achieving the first 5x5 statline in the NBA since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019. He's also been near a quadruple-double a couple of times, showing his ability to easily be a player that can get 10 blocks in a game.
If the Spurs were even a playoff team, Wembanyama could have won the DPOY as a rookie, which would be a historic feat. But unless his performances lead to wins, Wemby will find himself on the losing end of awards like this for the foreseeable future.
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