The Oklahoma City Thunder have been dominating the Western Conference and the NBA, with a record of 51-15, the best in the league. They have the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is looking like he may go back-to-back, and also may have another guy going for a major accolade in Defensive Player of the Year.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes that if San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama becomes ineligible due to missing the minimum number of games played, OKC star Chet Holmgren could take home the hardware.
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“See above. The case checks out numerically, in the eye test, and if that's not enough, he gets the age-old "best defender on best defense" narrative boost,” Kline wrote.
By see above, Kline meant Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who he had as the No. 2 candidate.
“Yeah, I know, yawn. But Rudy Gobert is still awesome (basketball-wise), no matter how hard we try to paint him as not awesome. Minnesota's defense has regressed ever so slightly this season, but it's perched comfortably in the top 10. Opponents' effective field goal percentage drops a whole five percent with Gobert on the floor this season, the second-best mark of his illustrious career. He's a hellacious rebounder, a still-omnipresent rim protector (1.6 blocks), and pretty much the foundational text for all future wannabe DPOY candidates at the center position,” Kline stated.
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So far this season, Holmgren is averaging 17.3 points, nine rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. He’s a menacing tower of power on defense, and is the anchor of OKC’s, which is arguably the best in the NBA.
If Wemby truly does become ineligible, then Holmgren may run away with it. Gobert has won it so many times he may cause voter fatigue, allowing Holmgren to claim he was the best defensive player in the NBA this season.
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