(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Over the past decade or so, the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green has been one of the NBA’s best defensive players, and he was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
This year, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves seems to be the odds-on favorite to win the award.
But Green says that San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama should win the Defensive Player of the Year award instead of Gobert, per The Volume.
“I lied… Wemby should be the Defensive Player of the Year” – @Money23Green pic.twitter.com/7uPsIoMKIv
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 3, 2024
While Gobert is averaging 2.1 blocked shots per game, which is pretty good, Wembanyama is leading everyone with 3.5 blocks per game.
The French phenom is listed at 7-foot-4, but his arms seem to be 20 feet long, and as a result, he can single-handedly shut down the paint and deter dribble penetration.
Overall, he’s averaging 21.2 points and 10.5 rebounds despite playing only 29.3 minutes a game, and lately, he has been picking things up.
He had 40 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in an overtime win over the New York Knicks last Friday, and on Tuesday, he was two assists and one block away from a quadruple-double, something that is extremely rare in pro basketball.
Despite Wembanyama’s exploits, the Spurs have been horrible this season, and it’s only because they don’t have much talent or skill around him.
But you can see him coming as a future all-time great already, and he’s already looking like a nightmare for the rest of the league.
It’s scary to think how great he will be in just two or three years when he will still be several seasons away from entering his prime.
The post Draymond Green Names His Pick For Defensive Player Of The Year appeared first on The Cold Wire.