The award for Defensive Player of the Year from NBA It’s a race between two men. The bets have to Rudy Gobert as a clear favorite, but Victor Wembanyama occupies second place and seeks to overcome the difference in this final stretch of the season.
The debate between Wemby and Gobert as DPOY is tighter than you might think. Wembanyama has the advantage in several statistical categories and he is getting his numbers in fewer minutes than his compatriot. This is what the comparison looks like between the main candidates for Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-2024.
Victor Wembanyama vs. Rudy Gobert
In some of the most basic statistics, Wembanyama has a clear advantage over Gobert. Both are excellent at protecting the rim, but the Spurs leads the league in blocks.
Wembanyama Statistics Gobert
3,4
Plugs 2.1
1,3
Steals 0.6 8.1 Defensive rebounds
9,2
2.9 Detours 1.6
Los 3.4 blocks and 1.3 steals from Wembanyama they put it with elite company. Only five players have reached those totals in NBA history and they all did it in much longer than the 28.8 minutes per game of Wemby.
The rookie has the edge over Gobert in blocks and steals, by a fairly wide margin. However, where Gobert has the most influence is altering shots in the paint.
One of the most important defensive statistics is how well opponents shoot near the rim when they have a certain player in front of them. That reference shows that Gobert forces more mistakes from opponentsby a good margin of difference.
Wembanyama Statistics Gobert 54.3% TC% of rivals near the rim
48,1%
Voters also tend to look general metrics, which determine how well a team defends when a certain player is on the field, adjusting for the quality of teammates and rivals. In these statistics, Wembanyama looks like the most impactful defender.
Wembanyama Statistics Gobert
+3.3
EPM Defensive +2.6 +2.8 LEBRON Defensive
+3.1
+3.3
RAPTOR Defensive +3.2
However, the most important statistic is the team success and this is why Gobert has many more options to win the award. The Spurs are ranked 23° in terms of rating, while the Timberwolves have the best defense in the NBA in this campaign.
Who will win Defensive Player of the Year?
Wembanyama should not be punished for Spurs’ lack of success. San Antonio came from having the worst defense in the history of the league and outside of Wembanyama, they repeated most of their names for 2023-2024. It’s clear that none of his teammates will be competing for defensive awards and several of them are well below average.
Gobert has a lot more help in Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels will be in the Ideal Defensive Quintet. Kyle Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are good defenders. Mike Conley is one of the smartest defenders at his position. And Anthony Edwards is a good one-on-one marker who can make spectacular plays when he’s focused.
Wembanyama has only 20 yearsbut there are quite solid arguments that support that it is already the best defender in the league. His intimidation factor in the paint is huge and players simply refuse to challenge him near the rim.
The same can be said for Gobert, but while he has improved his perimeter defenseit is still a weakness clear of his game. That’s another area where Wembanyama has an advantage.
One area where Gobert has an advantage is physical power. Wembanyama still weighs just 95 kilos compared to Gobert’s almost 120 kilos. Some opponents, like Houston’s Alperen Sengun, have had success driving Wembanyama down the rim.
At the end of the day, these are two incredible defenders who are head and shoulders above the rest this year. Considering the team’s success, then Gobert should be the winner. But if the award goes to the most impactful defender, then it should go to Wembanyama.
2024-03-12 17:10:44
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