San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama acknowledges fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert’s strong candidacy for the Defensive Player of the Year award this season but believes his time will come.
Gobert’s stats this season include 13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Meanwhile Wembanyama boasts formidable numbers with 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
“I know that Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved. Let him win it now, because after that it’s no longer his turn,” Wembanyama said, per Tom Orsborn.
While Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves are vying for the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, Wembanyama’s Spurs have been eliminated from contention and sit at the bottom of the standings.
While Gobert may be the frontrunner for the award this season, Wembanyama’s emergence signals a potential shift in the landscape of elite defenders in the league.
