Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award this season, and not everyone is on board with it. NBA legend Kevin Garnett prefers San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, who would've been the first rookie to ever win the award.
Garnett lambasted the league for picking Gobert over “Wemby” on Saturday, via his All the Smoke podcast.
“That boy (Wembanyama) should've won defensive player of the year, too, I'm just saying,” Garnett said. “The league do too much. ‘Aww, he was a rook – man f**k that! If you prove that you can do the job, then you get the job, right? He should've did that.”
Gobert did best Wembanyama in defensive rating, sporting a 104.4 mark compared to Wemby's 105.8. However, Wemby led the league with 3.6 blocks per game, whereas Gobert ranked sixth with 2.1.
“And we ain't seen that type of effect on the defensive end since who, P (co-host Paul Pierce)?” Garnett continued. “Who's affected – man, David Robinson…Dikembe (Mutumbo)? Man, who guards – Dream (Hakeem Olajuwan)? Who guard the rim like that, bro? Where you come in there and, man. Nine and a half of 'em, he gettin' 'em. He gettin' a tip on 'em…you feel me?”
That's high praise, as all three of those players are in the Hall of Fame. However, Wemby deserves the praise, as he's one of the only rookies in league history to even be in contention for DPOY.
“I think two ****** caught him this year on some whatever. Obviously Joel (Embiid) is another level. But man, Wemby man…He had motherf***ers in there pump fakin', putting up – man!” Garnett continued. “Greek (Giannis Antetokounmpo) came in and thought it was sweet. Nah, y'all tripping, yeah aight. Man, bro, he earned that. No disrespect to any other person in the league, this is my opinion. I thought he did enough and he showed enough consistently to win that award.”
While the French international isn't yet on the level of Embiid or Antetokounmpo, it won't be long before he gets there if he keeps going at this pace.
“Regardless of your f***ing status or where you at, and what year you in,” Garnett concluded. “If you gettin' it and you a rookie, then you gettin' it…If I was Wemby, I'd come back and block five shots (a game) next year…y'all got me f***ed up. Change this award to the ‘Wemby Award.'”
Is Garnett right, or is he being harsh on Gobert?
Wembanyama will probably win a DPOY with the Spurs soon
Both Gobert and Wemby were defensive forces this season, and one could make an argument for either one of them as the best. Gobert, though, anchored the best defense in the league and led with 5.8 defensive win shares.
Regardless, Wemby is still developing at just 20 years old, so his prime could be a scary sight for the rest of the league.
The 7-foot-4, 209-pounder admitted that Gobert was deserving of the honor before the season ended, via Sports Illustrated's Jonathan Harrison.
“Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year,” Wemby said. “It would be deserved, but let him earn it now because afterward it won't be his turn.”
Will the Spurs franchise player's bold statement age like wine or milk?
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