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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra shared his view that the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday showcased what he considers the top two contenders for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award: Bam Adebayo and Victor Wembanyama.

As reported by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Spoelstra emphasized his belief that the race is essentially between those two players.

“If we can really defend the way we’ve been defending the last month, then I think it’s a two-man race for the Defensive Player of the Year,” Spoelstra said prior to the game.

“I think it’s just whatever flavor you like. They’ve won at an extremely high level, San Antonio. And their defense has been consistently a notch above ours. But we’re starting to catch them in that.“

However, Chiang pointed out that betting markets currently rank Adebayo lower in the race, closer to fifth place rather than second, with players like Chet Holmgren of the Thunder, Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves, and Scottie Barnes of the Raptors positioned ahead of him.

Spoelstra also made a strong case for Adebayo’s inclusion on an All-NBA team this year, highlighting his all-around impact despite the team not having as many wins as hoped.

“Obviously I wish we had more wins at this point,” Spoelstra said.

“But in terms of what he does on both sides of the floor, to me, that’s All-NBA. It takes people appreciating how many things he does on the defensive side of the floor, in addition to taking on a lot more offensive responsibilities.”

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