Draymond Green Asks Media to Halter Their Adoration of Victor Wembanyama

After having a fantastic rookie campaign, Victor Wembanyama has solidified his place among the NBA’s top young players. Observers have focused their attention on the 7’4″ French phenom’s defense, with some saying the big man for the San Antonio Spurs should be considered for Defensive Player of the Year.

With 3.4 blocks per game and 1.3 steals per game, Wembanyama is presently leading the league. His eight-foot wingspan also poses a serious threat to opposition offenses.

However, not everyone thinks Wembanyama ought to win the DPOY title. Draymond Green, a forward for the Golden State Warriors who earned the award in 2016–17, believes the Spurs defense isn’t strong enough to pick Wembanyama for DPOY just yet.

He might be the recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year award. “I don’t think it’s this year, personally,” Green stated on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show. “I still don’t see how you can award that to a player who plays on the league’s 24th-best defense.”

Given that the Minnesota Timberwolves lead the Western Conference with a 43–19 record, center Rudy Gobert is the clear favorite to win the award for the fourth time in his career. The Timberwolves have the tightest defense in the NBA, giving up only 106.5 points per game, a significant improvement over San Antonio’s 120.2.

Wembanyama has a far higher chance of winning the Rookie of the Year title, as Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder is his main rival.

Green believes the young Spurs player shouldn’t win Defensive Player of the Year this year, but it is likely that he will at some time.