Even though he’s only in his first season in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs is doing a lot of great things and gaining a ton of attention.
He might be weeks away from being named Rookie of the Year and he’s even been spoken of as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving believes that Wembanyama clearly has what it takes to be DPOY.
“He’s showing signs that he’s exceeded all the Defensive Player of the Year stats previous to guys that have won it. … I don’t know who they’re going to pick, but I mean, he has all the tools to be named Defensive Player of the Year,” Irving said, according to Grant Afseth.
Kyrie Irving on Victor Wembanyama as DPOY: "He's showing signs that he's exceeded all the Defensive Player of the Year stats previous to guys that have won it. … I don't know who they're going to pick, but I mean, he has all the tools to be named Defensive Player of the Year."
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 20, 2024
Irving is a very successful NBA star and knows the game inside and out, so his praise of Wembanyama is a very big deal.
And he’s absolutely right when he says that the Spurs star is exceeding previous Defensive Player of the Year winners.
He is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that he’s leading the entire league in blocks, with 3.5 per game.
Those numbers are definitely good enough to win DPOY but most people believe that he won’t be claiming the prize this year.
That honor will likely go to Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who has transformed his team’s defensive plans and turned them into a true championship contender.
Still, Wembanyama might win the prize in the future.
In fact, he might claim multiple coveted NBA trophies, including possibly MVP.
Irving says that Wembanyama has all the tools to win Defensive Player of the Year, but the truth is he has the tools to win a lot more than just that.
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