Open Thread: With Victor Wembanyama not available, the Defensive Player of the Year award is wide open

There’s a 7’3” with an 8’ wingspan void to fill

In November, Victor Wembanyama was named the first Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month.

Wemby was the presumptive favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year. It has even been argued that in his rookie season, Victor was more deserving than last year’s DPOY recipient Rudy Gobert.

With the discovery of Wembanyama’s deep vein thrombosis, his season has ended opening the conversation on who could now be in the running for 2025’s Defensive Player of the Year.

During Wednesday night’s telecast, Ryan Ruocco and James Bilas mentioned that Amen Thompson, who was January’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month, and Jaren Jackson, Jr., December’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month, were the only two players in the league to have 60+ blocks and 60+ steals.

By comparison, Wemby had 52 steals when his season abruptly ended, which is why he isn’t in that category. Make that stat 50+ steals and 60+ blocks and the Frenchman makes the list. Make it 50+ steals and 150+ blocks and Wemby is in a category all his own.

In the Eastern Conference, Dyson Daniels was the first DPOM in November. His 3.1 steals handily leads the league.

Evan Mobley was the Eastern Conference’s DPOM for December. He currently ranks ninth in the league for blocks, but like Wemby, doesn’t crack the top 50 in steals.

Last month Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard took the DPOM honors for the East. His 1.3 steals per game matches Jaren Jackson, Jr., Draymond Green, and Anthony Davis. Great company to be in, but he is also lower in the blocks count.

When it comes to defense, there is also an intangible element. A player can be disruptive, shutting down shooters or forcing turnovers without a tally going into one of the two major categories. Wemby is probably the best example in the current NBA as his block count is lower than it would be if players didn’t opt out of shots in his presence. Time and time again, his extended arms cause the most able three-point shooters to send it around the horn. And on more occasions than can be counted, players have thought twice about taking a lay-up just because they have Wemby in the rearview.

It will most likely be that sort of intangible quality that helps shape the discussion as the season winds down and see the Defensive Player of the Year trophy handed to a player who most likely didn’t see the honor coming back at the beginning of the season.

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