Victor Wembanyama might not have the hardware to prove it, but he is the best defender in the NBA and has been since his rookie year.
He has twice led the league in blocks per game and total blocks, posting an eye-popping 3.8 per game last season, and finished with 28 more blocks than second-place Brook Lopez, who played in 38 more games.
Wembanyama has his second season cut short with a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis, causing him to come up short of the 65-game threshold to make the All-Defensive Team or win Defensive Player of the Year.
Last year, up until he was shut down for the season, he was a heavy favorite to win the hardware, and according to BetMGM, he has -180 odds to win in the upcoming season.
Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley, Dyson Daniels, and Amen Thompson round out the top five, although as long as Wemby can play in 65 games, he is a lock to win his first of many awards, and is fifth in the MVP race, with +1300 odds.
The San Antonio Spurs have finally finished building a winning roster on both sides of the ball. They have a pass-first point guard in Dylan Harper and a blistering defender in Carter Bryant, both picked up in the lottery, and Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox will enjoy more than five games together next season.
Wembanyama is seemingly ready to hit the ground running, fully recovered from his blod clot issue.
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