The 2023 NBA Draft first overall pick, French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, is having a stellar rookie season; however, the four-time NBA champion and veteran power forward of the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green, believes he should not take home the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Green recently spoke on "The Draymond Green Show" and extended his opinions, stating that the San Antonio Spurs’ defense as a whole is a factor that should be considered when looking at the DPOY award and the Pro A champion of 2022.
Draymond Green says Victor Wembanyama doesn’t deserve DPOY, and implies that if he wins DPOY, then Jayson Tatum deserves MVP
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The four-time NBA All-Star, Green shared, "He"ll have these numbers and he"ll have opportunities to win Defensive Player of the Years. I personally don"t think that is this year. Even if [Minnesota Timberwolves center] Rudy Gobert wasn"t having the year that he"s having and their team wasn"t having the season that they"re having, I still don"t think you can give that award to somebody who"s on the 24th-best defense in the league."
"If you are doing that, well, then you got to move the needle back for Jayson Tatum. It can’t be ‘oh man, they got to win a championship before Jayson Tatum can win MVP.’"
"You’ve got to move the needle back because clearly we’re just moving the needle whenever we may-whenever we feel like we can, if you’re going to give Victor the Defensive Player of the Year Award."
Wembanyama was considered the most hyped prospect of the NBA Draft and, hence, achieved the top spot. His performance, considering his stature, has been remarkable, and throughout fifty six games, he has an average of 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Wembanyama is also first in registering blocks per game and total blocks. In the category of rebounds, he is in the twelfth position and in steals, he is in the fourteenth place. In defense ratings, he is in third place as per BR.
Spurs in the season are 13-49 and are fifteenth in the Western conference. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is leading the league when considering the defense. He is averaging 12.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
