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The NBA has made fans wait with bated breath for the results of the most polarizing award of this year's regular season. The Rookie of the Year award is locked down so tight that you would have to be an Avengers-level villain to give it to anyone other than Victor Wembanyama. There is no drama for that one. Waiting this long to announce it only brings an unnecessary dramatic effect as you could have given it to the French phenom in the middle of March.
Defensive Player of the Year is another story. Despite a historic season disrupting offenses, Victor is not the frontrunner to win an award that he would likely be the obvious choice for any other season. His place as oddsmaker's second favorite gives fans hope that he can overcome the politics of the NBA. Either way, the wait is almost over.
NBA announces Rookie of the Year winner will be announced Monday and Defensive Player of the Year will be announced Tuesday.
— Paul Garcia (@PaulGarciaNBA) May 5, 2024
Wemby is a top-3 finalist for both awards
Wembanyama should be the Defensive Player of the Year winner without question
Minnesota Timberwolves' center Rudy Gobert has been the favorite to win for the majority of the year and there is no doubt the three-time DPOY winner has had another stellar season but nuance is again being ignored. The arguments have already been made for Wembanyama every which way but with the announcement incoming, a summary of Victor's case is necessary.
The number one overall pick finished his rookie campaign with almost 100 more blocks than Gobert and over 30 more steals. When Gobert goes to the bench, Minnesota's defense maintains their high production, while the Spurs go from a top-five defense with Wembanyama on the floor to the league's worst when he's on the bench. That tells you that the Timberwolves have a team full of great defenders and San Antonio does not.
Defensive Player of the Year is a solo award. It is not called the " best defensive player on the best defensive team" award. A few journalists understand that and have confirmed their first place votes for Victor but it may not be enough. Whether he wins the award or not, everyone knows what they witnessed. NBA players named the Alien as the league's best defender in an anonymous poll and fans everywhere know Wembanyama is just getting started.