Wemby knows his time to win top defensive honors coming
AUSTIN — Victor Wembanyama might not win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award as a rookie, but he served notice to the NBA and his mentor that he intends to win it regularly soon.
“I know that Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved,” the Spurs center said of his fellow Frenchman. “Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”
Wembanyama made his comments in French during the portion of a news conference on Thursday reserved for questions from journalists from his homeland.
The 7-foot-3 center has been dominant defensively, entering Friday night’s matchup with Denver averaging a league-best 3.5 blocks per game and having forced countless foes to make quick Uturns after dashing into the lane.
“You really don’t want to go to the rim if he’s down there,” Indiana guard T.J. Mcconnell said after Wembanyama recorded six blocks in a win over the Pacers on March 3. “He’s an elite shot blocker.”
Spurs point guard Tre Jones can’t recall all the times he’s seen opponents think twice about testing Wembanyama at the rim.
“He makes guys think about shooting layups that are usually just gimmes, easy shots, little bunnies around the rim,” Jones said. “He’s making guys question it, dribble out. And it’s been some of the best players in the league. We all see his dominance on the defensive end and it’s only going to get better.”
But Wembanyama plays for one of the worst teams in the league, a squad that also ranks in the bottom 10 in the league defensively. Gobert, meanwhile, is the top defender on Minnesota’s top-ranked defense, a big factor in the Timberwolves being locked in a down-the-stretch battle with the Nuggets and Oklahoma City for the No. 1 seed in the West.
“The only thing is our record,” said Jones, referring to what is widely regarded as the biggest obstacle standing in Wembanyama’s way of becoming the first rookie to win the award.
“Other than that, he does everything on the defensive end,” Jones added. “Leads the league in blocks, has had countless games of over five blocks, steals. Just the way that he affects the game is unbelievable. I think he can make a strong case this year, but the only thing is our record, and that’s a lot. If it’s not this year, it’s years moving forward, for sure.”
If Gobert wins it, it will be the fourth time he’s collected the honor, which would tie him for the most all-time with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace.
And Wembanyama? Everybody in the league knows his time is coming.
“He’s going to be the face of the league here in the coming years and has obviously a ton of potential,” Mcconnell said. “He’s someone that San Antonio can build around.”
Johnson returns after illness bout
Keldon Johnson was cleared to play against the Nuggets on Friday night after missing the Spurs’ loss to Houston on Tuesday, due to a stomach illness.
“It was pretty tough,” the reserve forward said after shootaround Thursday morning. “It had me down for like two days. But I am good now. I am finally able to get back to eating good and things like that.”
Tuesday’s game marked just the fifth Johnson has missed this season.
“The best ability is availability,” Johnson said. “This is my job; this is what I do every day. I prepare myself to be in the gym game time. It is definitely my numberone priority. I do what it takes to be out there with my teammates.”
In other injury news, reserve forward Cedi Osman missed his fourth game in a row Friday with a sprained right ankle.