San Antonio Spurs (DR) / All The Smoke (DR)
By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
Victor Wembanyama is already a superstar, no one can dispute that. In fact, he’s so impressive that many fans are already campaigning for him to become Defender of the Year ahead of Rudy Gobert. And for Stephen Jackson, he could even claim more on a better team.
In a society where everyone wants to stand out through their uniqueness, and particularly in their opinions, it is rare to see a player achieve unanimous support. This is what makes Victor Wembanyama’s first season so exceptional, beyond his immense exploits on the pitch. Because on the networks, everyone agrees that he has the potential to become the best player in history.
Better than that, more and more voices are being raised for Spurs’ number 1 to be elected Defender of the Year! It must be said that he has a deterrent force never before seen in the history of the league, he proved it again this Tuesday against the Grizzlies. Alone against 3 attackers on a counterattackhe managed to scare them, to the point that no one dared to shoot…
Stephen Jackson campaigns for Wembanyama DPOY
Once is not customary, it is an opinion with which many elders agree. In his podcast, Stephen Jackson, formerly of Spurs, was particularly complimentary of the young interior and went further in his analysis. According to him, if he were better surrounded, Victor Wembanyama could have already found a place in the race for the MVP title with Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or even Luka Doncic :
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I honestly think that if Victor Wembanyama was on a better team, he would be in the running for MVP, not just in the running for Defender of the Year. He carries his team offensively, and remains dominant defensively. Gobert just defends and blocks shots. Nobody expects anything from him on the other side of the field.
Gobert is doing what it takes to be a good DPOY, but personally, I lean on the youth side. It’s only his first year in the NBA and he’s already capable of doing that? For me it wins hands down. After all, the numbers don’t lie. You may not like him on a personal level, but Gobert does what he’s asked.
For Stephen Jackson, who can be particularly critical, we cannot blame Rudy Gobert, who does what is asked of him perfectly in Minnesota. But he still prefers the contribution of Victor Wembanyama, who can defend at a very high level, while ensuring the offensive load of his Spurs. Whether he is elected this year or not, the latter will leave whatever happens with a good number of DPOYs in his career.
If league veterans agree that Victor Wembanyama already deserves the title of Defender of the Year, is that he achieves exceptional things on the field. It remains to be seen whether voters agree.
2024-04-10 16:30:00
#Stephen #Jackson #filter #team #Victor #Wembanyama
