Draymond Green put forward an argument as to why rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama shouldn’t take home Defensive Player of the Year Award this season.
Green explained that the Spurs’ poor defensive record should be the main reason why Wemby shouldn’t win the award, even though individually his defense has been some of the best ever seen in a player’s rookie year.
“He’ll have these numbers and he’ll have opportunities to win Defensive Player of the Years,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “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.”
To Green’s point, San Antonio allow the fifth-most points per game (120.2) in the entire league, and it doesn’t help matters that the franchise has a 49-13 record on the season.
If you compare that to the Timberwolves and Rudy Gobert, the team has the best defense in the league, allowing only 106.5 points per game and are first seed in the West.
So, naturally, Gobert is the running favorite to take out the award this season over 20-year-old Wembanyama.
Green went on to further emphasise his point by saying that if Wembanyama wins the Defensive Player of the Year Award, then Jayson Tatum should also win the MVP, if you are applying the same logic.
“If you are doing that, then well, you’ve got to move the needle back for Jayson Tatum,” Green added. “It can’t be ‘Oh man, they gotta win a chmpionship before Jayson Tatum can win MVP. You got to move that needle back. Because clearly we’re just moving the needle whenever we may. Whenever we feel like we can. If you’re going ti give Victor the DPOY Award.”
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