In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green argues that Victor Wembanyama is clearly pulling away in the Rookie of the Year (ROY) race, citing his impressive per‑game statistics (23 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, ~2 steals, 4 blocks, 49% FG, 40% 3‑pt, 83% FT) and a dominant one‑on‑one matchup against Chet Holmgren. Green then debates whether Wembanyama should also be a contender for Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). He points out that the Spurs rank 24th in team defense, contending that a DPOY award should reflect a team’s overall defensive quality, not just individual block and steal totals (Wembanyama is 1st in blocks, 12th in steals). He warns that awarding DPOY to a player on a low‑ranked defensive team would set a precedent that could shift award standards for other players like Jayson Tatum. Green references past award controversies—Ben Simmons winning ROY in his second year, Joel Embiid’s multi‑year run, and Malcolm Brogdon’s eventual win—to argue that the Rookie of the Year should be limited to true first‑year players. He concludes that Wembanyama’s performance makes the ROY decision obvious, while the DPOY award remains unlikely this season. The episode also includes a DraftKings sponsorship plug and a giveaway call‑to‑action for listeners.
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What's up everybody? Welcome to the Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Make sure you like the post that you love, but you can get everything the Draymond Green Show right on our YouTube channel. So make sure you subscribe, check that out. Thank you. The basketball that Victor Wembanyama has been playing, it's absolutely incredible. Now I personally think Victor Wembanyama is pulling away with the Rookie of the Year race. He's kind of creating that separation. 60 games into the season, only a quarter of the season left. It's time to start to create that separation if you can. And I think he's doing that. And as you know, I'm not really one that's really big on one-on-one matchups, but sometimes they do matter based on when they are in the season. And there was just a one-on-one matchup between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, and Victor Wembanyama handled that. Yeah. He handled that pretty handedly. And some would say he was sending us, making a statement and sending a statement around the league and to voters. As you know, that's probably one of those ones that matter a little more with where we are in the season with the Rookie of the Year race. Quite frankly.
Um.
By all means, I, I think Victor is pulling away. Uh, his last 20 games, he's still averaging 29 minutes per game, 23 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, uh, almost 2 steals and 4 blocks on 49% from the field, 40% from 3, and 83% from the line. He's currently second in odds to win Defensive Player of the Year, although I can't quite agree with that because they have the 24th best defense. In the league. Now that's where you kind of get into like, his team is not that good, they're young, blah, blah, blah. But what he's doing is incredible. But you just can't move the line like that. Like you're not allowed to just because he's young and the team is bad. A guy on the 24th best defense in the league can win Defensive Player of the Year. I don't agree with that. That's moving the line too far. And If you're moving the line that far on Defensive Player of the Year, like Rookie of the Year, yes. I'm not worried about Chet Holmgren's team being first in the West and the Spurs being 14th or 15th, whatever they are. I don't put much into that because you're a rookie. Like to come in and say, oh, this rookie's gonna win a bunch of games, especially a team that get the number one pick, probably means that team's not very good. That shouldn't decide the Rookie of the Year, and I don't think it will. But Defensive Player of the Year is a different thing. Your team, that does require your team to have a great defense, and they just don't. With, you know, like I said, with being, he's whatever their record is, that and 24th best defense, that just doesn't work. Yeah. But you know, Wemby is 12th in the league in steals and 1st in blocks. And those are all great numbers. And as he continue on in his career and that team gets better, I don't think those numbers are going anywhere. I don't think Wemby's gonna block less shots. I don't think Wemby's gonna get less steals with his length. And so he'll have these numbers and he'll have opportunity to win Defensive Player of the Year. I personally don't think that is this year. Even if Rudy Gobert wasn't having the season that he's having and their team having the season that they're having, I still don't think you can give that award to somebody who's on 24th best defense in the league. If you are doing that, well then you gotta move the needle back for Jayson Tatum. It can't be, oh man, they gotta win a championship before Jayson Tatum can win MVP. You gotta move that needle back. Because clearly we're just moving the needle whenever we may, whenever we feel like we can. If you're gonna give Victor Wembenyama the Defensive Player of the Year award. However, I think he's definitely running away with the Rookie of the Year award. If I'm being quite honest, I wanna see him run away with the Rookie of the Year award. No disrespect to Chet Holmgren. I think Chet Holmgren is gonna be a star in this league, but I just have an issue with second year guys, even if they missed the whole first year, win a Rookie of the Year.
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Because when you train with an NBA team, when you live an NBA life, when you learn NBA defensive schemes, when you're practicing with an NBA team, you're traveling with an NBA team, you're doing all of these things that NBA players do for an entire year, that makes a difference. Makes a difference in your body, makes a difference in your mind, makes a difference in how you see the game. It makes a difference. And so I just can't agree with second year guys winning Rookie of the Year. I would like to see Victor Wembanyama, win it. We had the same situation with Ben Simmons actually won it if I'm not mistaken, coming around his second year, which didn't quite feel that great. And then we also had the situation with Joel Embiid that I think he was actually 3 years in and he was up in the race against Malcolm Brogdon. Didn't ultimately play enough games and still came in second place. Malcolm Brogdon ended up taking it away. But—
Yeah.—
it just don't feel right. Because again, I know the benefits of living an NBA life, whether you're getting in the game. I didn't play a ton my rookie year. Coming into my second year, even the little minutes I did play, but more importantly, the life that I was living and training that I was getting, it makes a difference. And so I just can't agree. Um, and I think that's a rule that Ben needed to should have been changed from the NBA. Rookies should be in line for Rookie of the Year. And that's just my opinion. I'll leave that there. But it don't look like we're gonna have that issue because the way Victor Wembanyama is playing, he's making the decision easy for everybody. So, Chet being in first, Victor being in 14th does not decide that award. The play of those players decide that award. And Victor is making it very clear. I deserve that award. That's gonna be a wrap for this episode of the Draymond Green Show. Make sure you all tap in this week. We got an interview coming your way. Don't forget to check the Twitter of The Volume. Check my personal Twitter for the giveaways. So just tweet us your subscription on our Twitter, well, The Volume Twitter or my personal Twitter, and we'll get you locked in, get you part of the giveaway. And there will be a couple items. Until next time, that's a wrap from this episode of the Draymond Green Show. Peace. Peace.
