Victor Wembanyama wins first ever Defensive Player of the Month award
The Spurs big man’s defensive dominance continues.
This season the NBA has implemented a new monthly award: The Kia Defensive Player of the Month. Who else would win the first edition of the award than San Antonio Spurs big man, Victor Wembanyama The second-year center was named the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November.
San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Defensive Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November, becoming the first recipients of the new award. pic.twitter.com/tDMp2T6wny
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 3, 2024
Wembanyama leads the league with 3.6 blocks per game while averaging 1.3 steals. He’s contesting 10.1 shots per game and deflecting 3.3 balls per game. The advanced metrics back up some of Wembanyama’s dominance on the defensive end as well, as he has a crazy individual defensive rating of 104.
What makes Wembanyama’s defensive ability even more impressive are the plays that don’t wind up in the stat sheet. He’s a true rim deterrent, causing players to often turn the other way rather than try to get a shot over him. Imagine how many blocks he’d have if players routinely went at him. After finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year race last season, Wembanyama is on the right track to contend for the award once again.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month. He leads the league with 3 steals, 6.7 deflections, and 2.8 forced turnovers per game. Daniels was a key piece in the Dejounte Murray trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
