{"id":72998,"date":"2024-04-12T14:47:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=72998"},"modified":"2024-04-12T14:47:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:47:11","slug":"3-reasons-why-victor-wembanyama-should-win-dpoy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/04\/12\/3-reasons-why-victor-wembanyama-should-win-dpoy\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons Why Victor Wembanyama Should Win DPOY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With the NBA season coming to a close award talks are heating up. One recent conversation that has emerged is the Defensive Player of the Year debate. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/goberru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rudy Gobert<\/a> has seemingly had the Defensive Player of the Year <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/31\/nba-awards-end-season-predictions-2024\/\" target=\"_self\">Award<\/a> or DPOY locked up for months. He has anchored the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/leagues\/NBA_2024_ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best<\/a> defense in the league and is currently a -2400 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vegasinsider.com\/nba\/odds\/defensive-player-of-the-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">favorite<\/a> to win the award. If Gobert wins DPOY this year he\u2019ll tie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wallabe01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Wallace<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mutomdi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dikembe Mutombo<\/a> for the most career DPOYs. Despite Gobert almost certainly winning the award and his defensive greatness, there\u2019s another candidate more deserving. That\u2019s right rookie phenom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wembavi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Victor Wembanyama<\/a> checks all the boxes of DPOY. Currently, Wembanyama is second behind Gobert with +1000 odds to win the awards. Wembanyama has gotten some DPOY <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/18\/spurs-victor-wembanyama-puts-league-notice-latest-quip\/\" target=\"_self\">buzz<\/a> after an incredible second half of the season and some dominant performances. Let\u2019s dive into Wemby\u2019s DPOY case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>3 Reasons Why Victor Wembanyama Should Win DPOY<\/h2>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Historic Stocks\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While steals and blocks are not the end-all be-all in terms of defense they are still very worth considering in a DPOY case. Wembanyama has had a dominant and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/19\/the-greatest-rookie-seasons-of-all-time-how-does-wembanyama-stack-up-to-the-goats\/\" target=\"_self\">historic<\/a> season, especially in terms of stocks. He is averaging an absurd 3.6 blocks per game and 1.2 steals per game. Wemby is the runaway block per-game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/leaders?StatCategory=BLK\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">leader<\/a> with three players tied for the second averaging 2.4 blocks per game. Wembanyama has an unmatched 339 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask\/who-is-the-nba-leader-for-blocks-plus-steals-this-season\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stocks<\/a> on the season 75 more than the runner-up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a> and 134 more than Gobert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">How is Wemby not the DPOY? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PmfsaO58K1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/PmfsaO58K1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 . (@8bonz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/8bonz\/status\/1777115325076750353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Furthermore, Wemby has a ridiculous 252 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask\/wemby-total-blocks\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">total<\/a> blocks on the year, 66 more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holmgch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chet Holmgren<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lopezbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brook Lopez<\/a> who are tied for second. Notably, Wemby also has 96 more total blocks than Gobert and his 3.6 blocks per game are the most since the 2015-16 season. Since the All-Star break, Wembanyama is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask\/wemby-blocks-since-all-star-break\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">averaging<\/a> 4.6 blocks per game which is more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/traditional?sort=BLK&amp;dir=-1&amp;SeasonSegment=Post+All-Star\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eight teams<\/a> and equal to four teams. Wemby also is averaging 2.8 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/hustle?sort=DEFLECTIONS&amp;dir=1\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deflections<\/a> per game which ranks second among centers and gives him significantly more than Gobert\u2019s 1.6 per game. What Wemby has done as a rookie is historical, his rim protection and defensive versatility are truly amazing. This dominance is even more impressive when considering the Spurs have restricted Wembanyama\u2019s minutes to under 30 per game. Per 36 minutes these numbers become even more mind-boggling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Elite Advanced Numbers<\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One of the most important things to consider in the DPOY race is advanced stats and Wemby\u2019s are excellent. Wembanyama\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dunksandthrees.com\/epm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">estimated defensive plus minus<\/a> is +3.3 ranking him in the 99th percentile and 6th in the league-wide. While Gobert is still in the 94th percentile with a +2.2 Wemby gets the slight edge with this stat. Defensive rating is one of the most discussed stats in the DPOY race both at the individual and team level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Many Gobert voters will point to Wemby\u2019s poor team defensive rating compared to Gobert\u2019s elite team defensive rating. However, the individual stats capture Wemby\u2019s incredible impact. With Wemby on the court, the Spurs have a 110.9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612759\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=A&amp;sort=DIFF_DEF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">defensive rating<\/a>. A number that would make the Spurs the second-best defense in the league just a notch behind the Timberwolves who have a 109.69 defensive rating. Without Wembanyama the Spurs have a 118 defensive rating which would be towards the bottom of the league. This gives Wemby a -7.1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612759\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=A&amp;sort=DIFF_DEF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">on\/off differential<\/a> whereas Gobert has just a -.3 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612750\/onoffcourt-summary?dir=D&amp;sort=DIFF_DEF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">differential<\/a>. Ultimately this stat shows us that Wemby is more important to his team\u2019s defense.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unmatched Talented and Impact\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unlike the MVP award, DPOY shouldn\u2019t take into account team success or at least it should be far less of a factor. In my eyes, the award should be reserved for the most impactful and talented defender during that season. While Gobert has anchored the top defense in the league and the Spurs defense ranks just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/leagues\/NBA_2024_ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">21st<\/a> in the league Wemby has been more impactful and valuable to his team. The history of this award favors great defenders on great defensive teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Victor Wembanyama Defensive Analysis | The Next Greatest Defensive Player Ever?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y4P5W1PsoBo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, Wembanyama&#8217;s versatile impact, elite rim protection, and valuable on\/off numbers give him a clear case. In terms of overall defensive impact, it\u2019s hard to make an argument for anyone over Wemby. Furthermore, Wembanyama is surrounded by one of the worst defensive rosters in the league, last year they ranked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/leagues\/NBA_2023_ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dead last<\/a> in defensive rating. Wembanyama has elevated this core in every possible way and made an unmatched defensive impact. As a result of his impact, talent, and historic season, Wembanyama deserves this award even if he is not the traditional winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the NBA season coming to a close award talks are heating up. One recent conversation that has emerged is the Defensive Player of the Year debate. Rudy Gobert has seemingly had the Defensive Player of the Year Award or DPOY locked up for months. He has anchored the best defense in the league and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4779,"featured_media":72999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,34],"tags":[1143,4669],"class_list":["post-72998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-spurs","tag-nba-awards","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}