Draymond Green, bless his heart, found himself in a familiar spot this week: talking about defense. Specifically, he was reacting to Victor Wembanyama's recent comments about wanting to be an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Wemby, after a dominant stretch including a 40-point, 20-rebound, 7-assist game against the Knicks on March 29th, told reporters his goal was to "attack every game" and "be the best player in the league." He then added, "That means on offense and defense." Green, ever the contrarian, said he "hated" the self-promotion but "absolutely loved" the ambition. Here's the thing: Wembanyama shouldn't even have to *say* he cares about defense. It should be baked into his very existence as a 7-foot-4 alien with an 8-foot wingspan.
Look, we all know the NBA is a scoring league now. The offensive numbers are absurd. Luka Doncic dropped 73 points against the Hawks on January 26th. Joel Embiid put up 70 against the Spurs on January 22nd. But even with all the offensive fireworks, defense still wins championships. Go ask the Denver Nuggets, who held opponents under 100 points in four of their six NBA Finals games last year. Or the Warriors teams Green himself anchored, stifling LeBron James and the Cavs in multiple Finals matchups. Wembanyama, even in a losing season for the Spurs, already flashed DPOY potential. He led the league with 3.6 blocks per game, a full block ahead of second-place Walker Kessler. He also averaged 1.2 steals, an incredible number for a big man. That’s not just good; that’s generational. His 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game were just the appetizers. The main course is his defensive impact.
Real talk: MVP usually goes to the best player on a top-tier team. Nikola Jokic won it in 2021 and 2022 because he was putting up insane numbers for a playoff squad. Embiid finally broke through last season with the 76ers finishing third in the East. For Wembanyama to sniff MVP, the Spurs need to start winning. A lot. They finished this season 22-60, good for 14th in the Western Conference. His defensive rating of 110.3 was solid, but the team's overall defensive rating of 117.8 was 24th in the league. That's not a knock on Wemby, but it illustrates the mountain he has to climb. He can be Wilt Chamberlain on defense, but if the team is still giving up 120 points a night, it's a tough sell for individual accolades. My hot take? Wembanyama will win DPOY before he wins MVP, and it won't even be close. He's that much of a cheat code on that end.
Thing is, defense isn't just about blocks and steals. It's about disrupting passing lanes, forcing bad shots, and controlling the paint. Wemby does all of that, often simultaneously. He had a five-block, five-steal game against the Raptors on February 12th. He put up 10 blocks against the Celtics on January 17th. These aren’t flukes; they’re highlights from a regular occurrence. Green understands this inherently. He knows that the foundation for winning, especially with a talent like Wembanyama, starts on defense. Wemby's offensive game will come, but his defensive dominance is already here. He just needs the Spurs to build around it.
I predict Victor Wembanyama will average a triple-double with blocks within the next three seasons.