Victor Wembanyama is making a strong case for NBA Defensive Player of the Year

28.02.2024 23:16

Victor Wembanyama has a strong DPOY resume, but one thing is holding him back.

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Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.

The two NBA Defensive Player of the Year favorites went head-to-head Tuesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the San Antonio Spurs. It was the fourth meeting between Rudy Gobert — who leads all DPOY candidates with -800 odds at BetMGM — and his fellow French National and Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama.

This time around, though, Wembanyama entered the matchup with some serious momentum around his own DPOY candidacy. Prior to their previous meeting at the end of January, Wembanyama’s odds were longer than at least four other players, according to SportsBettingDime’s tracker. Going into Tuesday’s game, Wembanyama was all the way up to second.

Now, to be absolutely clear, Wembanyama’s odds are still a distant second at +1200, but his climb is far from a surprise to anyone who’s seen his highlights floating around the internet. The 20-year-old might be more impressive on the defensive end than he is on offense. His case for the award is a strong one.

Wemby made this block look EFFORTLESS

SAS-MIN | Live on the NBA App
https://t.co/yC8Myr4ijX pic.twitter.com/wBYM3nJxGk

— NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2024

Wembanyama has a +3.2 defensive estimated plus-minus, according to Dunks and Threes, which ranks third among players with at least 50 games this season. And according to Cleaning the Glass, he ranks first in block percentage, second in defensive points allowed per 100 possessions and fourth in defensive rebound percentage off field goals, among players with at least 500 minutes. Wembanyama is higher than Gobert in each category.

He also leads the NBA at 3.3 blocks per game, and he joined Michael Jordan last week as the only players to record five blocks and five steals in consecutive games. The man is special.

So why isn’t Wembanyama a bigger favorite for the award? Well, for starters, Gobert is having a really special season too. More importantly, though, Gobert is doing it for a team that’s actually good. Minnesota has the the best record in the Western Conference and the league’s top defensive rating. The Spurs, on the other hand, have the worst record in the West and the 24th-ranked defensive rating. We saw that play out Tuesday when the Wolves beat the Spurs for the third time this season. Gobert and Wembanyama had four blocks each.

So, even with all his momentum, it remains an uphill battle for Wembanyama to stop Gobert from claiming his fourth career DPOY. Because the Spurs aren’t getting any better this season. But it’s more clear now than ever he’ll get a few of his own before his career is done.

One to Watch

(All odds via BetMGM)

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Sacramento Kings (+230) at Denver Nuggets (-7.5; -450), 9:10 p.m. ET

Every game the rest of the season is important for the Kings, who are seventh in the West and part of a jumbled group of teams trying to avoid the play-in tournament. However, I’m afraid this particular game isn’t one Sacramento will win. Denver is home, fresh off two days of rest and riding a three-game winning streak with a 17-point average margin of victory. And they’ll be seeking revenge, as Sacramento was the last team to beat them. I’m willing to bet they get it and cover -7.5 in the process.