Victor Wembanyama Makes History With DPOY Win
Victor Wembanyama is the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, which is not remotely surprising. He was unfathomably good on the defensive end. He was quite good on offense, which is why he made it as an MVP finalist, but his bread and butter is on defense, where he had a 103.6 defensive rating and over three blocks a game.
It may not be surprising, but it is historic that Wembanyama won the award in such dominant fashion. There's a case to be made that he's the best defensive player in the history of the league. After Monday night's vote, that case has some weight behind it. He's the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
Victor Wembanyama wins unanimous DPOY
If you watched even a single game by Victor Wembanyama this year, you probably recognized that he was going to win Defensive Player of the Year. He impacts every shot taken anywhere near him, and he forces players to reconsider shots they'd otherwise take without a moment's hesitation.
The main reason he didn't win the award last year is that he didn't play 65 games. At the time, he said, "I know that Rudy has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved. Let him win it now, because after that, it's no longer his turn."
That proved to be an omen for the future. He did struggle with some injuries, but he managed to get 65 games played thanks to the San Antonio Spurs' run into the NBA Cup Final. That extra game allowed Wembanyama to return, and while it doesn't count as a game played, it does count for the rule's purposes.
"The real struggle might have been getting to 65 games," Wembanyama said after winning the award with 65 games played. "But I'm super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous."
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Teammates react
Spurs who play with Victor Wembanyama likely have a much easier time on defense than they otherwise would. There's little pressure because he is the ultimate clean-up behind them. The perimeter defense doesn't have to live and die preventing paint entry. In fact, it might be beneficial to pass the guards off to Wembanyama.
"Everything that [he's] achieved so far has been earned and never given," said guard Keldon Johnson, who is up for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. "He's one of the hardest workers I've ever been around. He takes his craft very seriously, and I feel like this is just a small token of what's to come for Victor. He's a special player on the court and an even more special person off the court."
Stephon Castle, the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, chimed in. Most of the time when somebody wins Defensive Player of the Year, it's like more team defense and obviously, you have to be a great defender as well. But I feel like for Vic, he could've won it on any team in the league."
De'Aaron Fox, who joined Wembanyama at last year's trade deadline, added,"He deters people from even shooting the ball. You talk about guys that change shots. He literally negates guys even shooting the ball. They'll see him in there and dribble the ball out or kick out. He changes the whole dynamic of your defense, and he changes the dynamic of other team's offense."
That kind of player is almost unmatched in the NBA, even as the athletes and players get better and better. There's just no one like Wembanyama, and he is a deserving unanimous winner. Chet Holmgren came in second, while Ausar Thompson was voted third.
