Following an outstanding first season in the NBA, here comes the recognition. The league announced Sunday that San Antonio Spurs generational talent Victor Wembanyama is one of three finalists for both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Thing is, it's not surprising news.
Virtually a lock to win ROY, the Spurs superstar's odds of taking home the DPOY aren't as high, though several national figures have either said they voted for him and/or that he deserves serious consideration.
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama in the Rookie of the Year race
Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Brandon Miller and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren are the other ROY finalists.
After the OKC star won the first two Rookie of the Month awards of the season and took the early lead in what was essentially a two-man race race, Wembanyama took control at the beginning of 2024.
In averaging 24.0 points, 9.6 and 3.3 blocks per game in January–as well as recording his first of two NBA triple-doubles (including 10 blocks)–the 7-foot-5 phenom outperformed his 7-foot counterpart in winning the monthly nod for the first time. Holmgren hasn't won it since.
By the time the season ended, Wemby had run away from Chet after having confronted him in a sense. Namely, when the two met on the last day of February, Wemby led his last-place team to a win over Holmgren and the top-seeded OKC. In outplaying his rival in every statistical category, Wembanyama hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch vs. the Thunder that night before blocking Holmgren's jumper late in a play that would prove symbolic.
Of the five games he played in April, two of which came against Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Denver Nuggets, Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 12.8 and a staggering 5.6 blocks per game.
For the season, Wembanyama finished with the following averages: 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals.
Holmgren's averages looked like this: 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.4 assists and 0.6 steals.
Wemby in the Defensive Player of the Year race
Fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert is the favorite to win his fourth DPOY. In helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 56-26 record that came in just one game back of the best mark in the Western Conference, the three-time All-Star averaged 2.1 blocks and 12.9 rebounds in anchoring a defense that helped lead to the Timberwolves to the third seed.
Wemby led the league with 3.6 blocks per game. Like his 7-foot-1 countryman, he also averaged double digits in rebound with 10.6 boards per contest.
But Gobert has a better defensive rating at 9.2 to the 20-year-old's 8.4 DR.
Perhaps, most importantly though, the Timberwolves sport a much better record. And while many, like TNT TV host Ernie Johnson, Jr. who revealed Sunday he voted for Wembanyama in the category, don't think a team's success should weigh as much, many voters appear to disagree. They see Gobert's impact translate to wins.
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is the third finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
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