The San Antonio Spurs have the worst record in the Western Conference and the third-worst record in the league. But despite these, Spurs possess what could be the next biggest thing in the league, Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs rookie has been on an absolute tear in the first year of his career, leading his team in multiple stat lines while also leading the league in block shots. And after his 5×5 game, Gilbert Arenas went on to make a bold claim.
Advertisement
The San Antonio Spurs lost their 118-123 matchup to the Los Angeles Lakers last week. But despite the loss, the entire world of basketball has been chirping about Victor Wembanyama and what he was able to accomplish during that game.
Wemby had 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals for the game. His performance against the Lakers made him the youngest player in NBA history to record a 5×5 (PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK) game. He also completed this 5×5 game in 30 minutes and 55 seconds, the fewest minutes ever played in such a game.
This type of stat-sheet stuffing performance was the topic of discussion among every other sports analyst around the country. Even Gilbert Arenas went on to make some big claims regarding Wembanyama on his show Gil’s Arena.
“I’m pretty sure he’s gonna be a runner-up or winning Defensive Player of the Year this year. It has nothing to do with your record, it is your impact as a defender and he’s showing that he is an elite defender as a rookie.”
No NBA player in the history of the award has ever won the Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie. However, Gilbert Arenas is confident the rookie could take the award home this season. And if Victor Wembanyama does go home with DPOY honors, he’ll be making history by becoming the first rookie to ever do so.
This year, Wemby has been averaging 20.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 3.3 APG so far. But having a look at his defensive averages, the French sensation has been leading the league with 3.3 blocks per game and is leading his team in steals, averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Victor Wembanyama is a rightful contender for the Defensive Player of the Year honors with the type of impact he’s had on the floor. But will he be crowned for the defensive prowess he has displayed in his very first year?
Will Victor Wembanyama be the first?
Since the start of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, rookie Victor Wembanyama has always prioritized defense a bit more than offense. Talking about the defensive mindset, Wemby said,
“Especially as a young player, as a rookie, and with a coach like ours, it starts on defense. Growing up in Europe, to gain your spot in (a) professional roster at 15 or 16, you’ve got to play your a** off on defense.”
Not only the players or analysts, but the French phenom has been garnering praise from front offices too. An anonymous NBA executive said, “I had somebody with another front office tell me [Victor Wembanyama] will be the best defensive player of all time”
The Spurs still have plenty of games left in the season and the 7’4 forward/center is going to keep b building on his resume for DPOY honors. Do you think Wemby will become the first rookie ever to win the award? We’ll leave that question for you to ponder upon.
