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‘Let Him Win It Now’: Victor Wembanyama Says Rudy Gobert Deserves To Be DPOY Before Making Bold Prediction
Victor Wembanyama is leading the race for winning the rookie of the year and the confident Frenchman took a shot at his countrman, Rudy Gobert.
Victor Wembanyama, the rookie from France praised his fellow countryman Rudy Gobert and backed him to win Defensive Player of the Year this season. However, he also fired a shot at him at the same time, saying that it will no longer be "his turn" to win it in the future.
In the 2023–24 regular season, Gobert—who has already won three Defensive Player of the Year honors—has been a defensive mainstay for the Timberwolves. In his second season in Minnesota, he leads the team in blocks per game (2.1) and averages 0.6 steals per game over 63 games (all starts).
Gobert is good but Wembanyama is better?
The 31-year-old has been a standout rim protector for one of the NBA's best defensive teams. Minnesota allows the fewest points per game (106.7) and has the best defensive rating (108.3) in the league.
Even though Gobert has performed admirably on defense this season, Wembanyama has so far in his rookie campaign posted even greater defensive statistics. With the Spurs, he is averaging 1.3 steals and a league-high 3.4 blocks per game.
Since being selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Gobert has never averaged more than 2.7 blocks per game in a single season.
However, compared to Wembanyama's Spurs, Gobert's defensive contributions have resulted in significantly greater team success this season.
Flying Minnesota and Struggling Spurs
The Spurs rank in the bottom 10 of the NBA in terms of points allowed per game (119.9), opponent 3-point percentage (37.9 percent), and opponent field-goal percentage (49.1 percent), suggesting that they are among the worst defensive teams in basketball.
Additionally, the Timberwolves and Spurs are positioned almost oppositely in the Western Conference rankings. With a 45-21 record, Minnesota is one game behind the top seed in the conference and is ranked as the third seed.
At 14-52, the Spurs, on the other hand, have by far the worst record in the conference.
Wembanyama is expected to be a consistent candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, even though his exceptional defensive abilities haven't resulted in many victories for the Spurs this season.
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