Brian Windhorst’s Vote For 2024 NBA Defensive Player Of Year

With the NBA season winding down, fans are beginning to turn their attention to the looming playoffs.

In addition to the postseason, one other thing everyone can look forward to is the handing out of various NBA awards.

Over the past few seasons, the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award has gotten a ton of recognition.

This year, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves appears to be the odds-on favorite to claim the prize. But according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, one other player deserves consideration.

That player? Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

“I understand [Gobert] is going to win Defensive Player of the Year, but my vote hasn’t been decided…That’s what I’m saying, are we sure? And I’m saying I’m not sure, by the way [Wembanyama] had 9 blocks tonight against the [Denver] Nuggets,” Windhorst said on his podcast this week.

Windhorst is never one to shy away from offering a controversial opinion. Just this week, he revealed where Paul George will play next season at a time when everyone else is tip-toeing around the subject.

Wembanyama currently leads the NBA in blocked shots with 3.5 per game. He is also chipping in 1.3 steals per outing.

That said, according to Wembanyama himself, Gobert deserves ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ this season.

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“I know that Rudy 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 last month.

While Wembanyama’s impact on the league in just his rookie season has been impressive, it is hard to ignore what Gobert has done with the Timberwolves. Minnesota leads the league in defensive rating pretty much exclusively because of him.

Eventually, Wembanyama’s time will come. But for now? Gobert deserves to win his fourth ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award.

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Jennifer Withers Hoey

Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.