D Green’s Rave “Wembanyama should be the defender of the year.” Green praised the super rookie Wembanyama.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green left a glowing review of rookie Victor Wembanyama on his podcast on the 4th (Korea Standard Time).
Green said, “Wembanyama should win the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award. Wembanyama’s defense just doesn’t make sense. Wembanyama is perfect for both one-on-one and helpful defense. If you try to shoot a layup shot from the standpoint of the opponent, Wembanyama will appear before you know it and take a block shot. Wembanyama’s defense is terrible when facing him directly as a player.”
Named the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama was a player who had garnered tremendous attention even before entering the NBA. Wembanyama was a 224 cm tall, 243 cm tall, cartoonish physical condition, and even athletic ability, such as speed and agility.
Wembanyama was evaluated as a player with tremendous physical conditions and skills such as three-point shooting and dribbling, and was noted as a player who would become an icon of the NBA.
Wembanyama’s biggest strength was its defense. With block shots utilizing overwhelming physical conditions, speed and good defense steps, Wembanyama was assessed to have the ability to withstand mismatches with opposing team guards. He predicted that even though he may not be the MVP of the year, he would be able to win the award without fail.
Since the rookie season, Wembanyama’s true value in defense has been clearly revealed. In offense, there were ups and downs at the beginning of the season, having difficulty shooting outside shots, and unlike when Wembanyama started exploding in the second half of the season, Wembanyama’s defense has been overwhelming from the beginning of the season.
He showed off his block-shooting ability, which was his strength, without reservation, and his ability to cover up when his teammates failed to defend was incredible. He showed off his defensive skills by defending neatly even in a one-on-one situation with the NBA’s best guards.
Of course, block shots were expected to be at the top of the list, but their impact on the team’s defense is beyond imagination. Wembanyama’s San Antonio team is a low-ranking team that is undergoing a cool-headed rebuilding process. It currently ranks 15th in the Western Conference with 18 wins and 58 losses.
It is surprising that Wembanyama’s presence is absolute even in such a weak team. Without Wembanyama, San Antonio has a huge gap in offense and defense. In particular, the gap in defense is the level of sky and ground teeth. Although it is his first season in the NBA, Wembanyama has reigned as San Antonio’s absolute ace.
Wembanyama is ranked No. 1 overall in the NBA this season, averaging 3.5 blocks per game. No. 2 Brock Lopez is the No. 1 player with a wide gap with 2.4 blocks.
Wembanyama is also highly likely to be named the All-Defensive team. Although his team San Antonio is at the bottom of the standings, Wembanyama is highly evaluated for its defense capability.
As Green said, it would be difficult for Wembanyama to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Rudy Gobert, who made the Minnesota Timberwolves the best defense team in the NBA, is the most promising defender this season. Gobert proved his reputation this season as well.
What’s interesting is that both Kobe and Wembanyama are French players. Wembanyama expressed his respect for Kobe in a recent interview. Wembanyama said, “I think Kobe is the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ this season. But I’ll take over from next year,” expressing both respect and boldness.
Wembanyama, which received all-time high attention even before entering the NBA. In its first season, Wembanyama is perfectly meeting those expectations.