Victor Wembanyama has been a difference maker defensively for the Spurs, and that may have convinced Brian Windhorst to give him his Defensive Player of the Year vote.

Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with extremely high expectations, and while the San Antonio Spurs have struggled, Wembanyama has looked like the generational prospect he was billed to be prior to entering the league. In fact, Wembanyama has been so good that he’s convinced Brian Windhorst that he is deserving of Defensive Player of the Year consideration.

Wembanyama’s per game numbers are very strong (21.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 46.4 FG%), but he’s also averaging 1.3 steals and a league-leading 3.5 blocks per game too. While he isn’t the frontrunner to win the award, Windhorst recently implied that Wembanyama may end up being the guy who receives his vote for the award.

“I understand he’s (Rudy Gobert) 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 he had 9 blocks tonight against the Nuggets.” – Brian Windhorst, Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective

Should Victor Wembanyama win Defensive Player of the Year?

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While Wembanyama has been impressive offensively, he’s been one of the most valuable defenders in the league, despite only being a rookie. His ability to stick on guards at the perimeter, while also wreaking havoc in the paint as a shot-blocker, has proven that the hype for Wemby on that side of the ball was well-earned.

Interior defenders are typically more valuable than guys on the perimeter, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see that Wembanyama is already high up on this list. As noted above, he’s leading the league in blocks per game with 3.5, and his nine-block performance against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets indicates that he may only be scratching the surface of his potential.

For the time being, Rudy Gobert is the frontrunner to win the award once again, but Wembanyama could be making a late push to join him atop the race. Gobert has been the top defender in the league for years now, and with the Minnesota Timberwolves emerging as one of the top teams in the Western Conference, his anchoring play for them has helped him put together a strong candidacy once again.

While Windhorst is right to note just how good Wembanyama has been on defense, it’s probably a bit too early for him to make a true case for the award. Playing on a lackluster Spurs team certainly doesn’t help his case, but there are still holes in his game that you’d expect from a rookie that are plaguing his game. Sure, he had nine blocks against Denver on Tuesday night, but he also was largely responsible for Nikola Jokic’s 42-point outing as well.

Growing pains, if that’s what you even want to call them, are typical for young players in the league. But even then, Wembanyama has shown an ability to play like a star, despite only having turned 20 years old back in January. Windhorst might be jumping the gun a bit, but assuming he can stay on this track, there’s no doubt Wembanyama will be winning a DPOY award sooner rather than later.