The NBA’s annual defensive debate now revolves around Wembanyama

The Defensive Player Of The Year debate is a controversial one year in and year out. What makes someone a good defender? Why are big men the only ones to win the award every year? These are questions and arguments heard every year, and they're pretty much NBA tradition at this point.

Naturally, players are going to give their own perspectives, and the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo chimed in with his take while making the case for his candidacy. "I do think I deserve to be on the All-Defensive team, first team. [We've] got a top-four defense, so that is the level of DPOY," Adebayo asserts. "[Voters] just think, 'Oh, he's a DPOY because he has five blocks a game."

Now, upon reading this quote, one can't help but wonder if there is an indirect shot taken at a certain seven-footer who plays for the San Antonio Spurs. Obviously, what Adebayo is saying about what makes a great defender is true. But if he is taking aim at Victor Wembanyama, this is a severe understatement of everything he does on that end.

Wemby's defensive impact goes beyond just blocked shots

Let's address the entire narrative about blocked shots. Yes, Wemby is one of the league's best in this category with his methodical approach to rejections. He's the league's leader in that area with 2.9 per game, making it the third straight season he's led in that category. That alone should warrant a DPOY victory, but it's not the only way he's made an impact.

The Spurs rank seventh in the NBA in opponents' points in the paint, giving up just 46.6. That matches the eye test, and it's seen night-in and night-out. Not only is Victor rejecting shots, but he turns opponents entirely away from the basket, effectively shutting down a large chunk of their offensive attack.

If we're doing comparisons, the Heat's paint defense ranks well below San Antonio's, at 22nd, giving up nearly 52 points per night in that area. Just wanted to point that out.

Victor affects offensive scheming

Bam Adebayo did make a great point. "From my peers and the people who play against me and understand that you’ve got to put me in the corner so I don’t mess up your offensive schemes," he says. "That’s what matters more... that’s real in basketball, and a lot of people who are doing surveys wouldn’t know that."

Adebayo is 100% correct here, but he must know that this is also a similar scheme for teams trying to counter Wemby's paint protection. Opposing offenses want to pull him from the paint to neutralize his interior presence.

This was apparent against the Knicks. For multiple possessions, Wemby was forced to split the difference between guarding the paint and shooters in the corner. Here is a great example. Wembanyama is covering Josh Hart on the right elbow, completely pulling him from the interior which allows Karl Anthony-Towns to get an easy post up look and finish at the rim.

The argument is simple. While Bam Adebayo has his own strong and justifiable case for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, it is not that much more compelling than Victor Wembanyama. Limiting Wemby's impact to just blocked shots is a minimization of everything he does on that end.

Is Wemby the only Spur getting it done on defense? No. Luke Kornet held it down in the paint in his absence, but Victor is the ultimate engine behind one of the best teams on that end this season.