By Adiel Kalonji | NBA Editor
Despite the XXL performances that Victor Wembanyama delivers almost every evening and his position as the big favorite for the ROTY, Shaquille O’Neal has often had difficulty paying compliments to the Spurs rookie. But what about the DPOY race? The Hall of Famer gave his strong opinion.
At the start of the season, ROTY was mainly played between two men: Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. But over time, this debate has disappeared as the French dominate the competition. Now considered the big favorite for the trophy, he didn’t stop there. The 20-year-old inside aims higher and is now fighting a long-distance battle with other superstars in a different category.
Thanks to his extraordinary individual performances in defense, Victor Wembanyama will now see his name mentioned in the DPOY debate. His position as league leader in blocks with 3.6 blocks per match in addition to his 1.3 interceptions on average are indeed strong arguments. But due to the Spurs’ poor record (20-59), some refute the idea. Shaquille O’Neal decided on NBA on TNT.
Shaq bluntly on Wembanyama and the DPOY
If we focus on the individual aspect for the DPOY, he deserves it. But with the new rules, he cannot receive this trophy. His team does not have a positive record, that disqualifies him in the DPOY race. A DPOY is a stopper, someone who makes it difficult for his opponents who are trying to score. We don’t have control of the votes, but those who do will take the collective results into consideration.
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And his team has the worst defensive rating. With the new rules he cannot be DPOY. If we consider this title as a purely individual reward, it is obvious that he is the one who should obtain it. He does what he’s supposed to do for a 2m24 guy. I’m not discrediting him, but it’s normal that he’s capable of doing what he’s doing now.
If some consider that the DPOY should go to the best defender on the best defensive team, Rudy Gobert will surely be their favorite. On the other hand, if we focus on individuality alone, there is no doubt that Victor Wembanyama crushes his rivals in this section of the game. Shaquille O’Neal may not like Gobzilla, but voters often opted for the first solution.
And even if an ounce of bitterness can be read in the Lakers legend’s statement, the history of the previous criteria used for the DPOY proves him right. In this scenario, the Timberwolves pivot would receive this award for the 4th time in his career. He would join Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace among the players to have been crowned the most times. But at this rate, Wemby might match them one day.
Since day one, Shaquille O’Neal has never been very kind to Victor Wembanyama. True to his character, he did not hesitate to debunk the theory that the Frenchy could receive the DPOY for his individual statistics, because the Spurs’ record would be the perfect counterargument.
2024-04-10 20:24:21
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