Will Victor Wembanyama Win Defensive Player Of The Year Over Bam Adebayo?

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has earned an All-Defensive Team selection for four consecutive seasons but has not received the Defensive Player of the Year award.

San Antonio Spurs No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama's performances in the preseason are leading some to choose him to win the award. The 7-foot-4 French big man is regarded as the best prospect since LeBron James.

The Ringer’s Michael Pina released 20 Increasingly Bold Predictions for the upcoming season, where he predicted Wembanyama to receive the award over Adebayo.

“The league’s new player participation policy may create a roadblock for Wemby to win Defensive Player of the Year. Voters will also hesitate to congratulate a rookie on (what will probably be) a losing team,” Pina wrote. “But Victor’s impact should be immediately massive in ways no other player can duplicate.”

Due to his frame, few players in the league have the versatility of Wembanyama. Despite Pina choosing Wembanyama, he defended Adebayo.

“If Bam Adebayo goes his entire career without winning this award, it’ll be a basketball tragedy. He’s 26 years old, he’s in his physical prime, and he deserves it,” Pina wrote. “If Wembanyama does not meet the 65-game threshold, it’ll be Bam’s time. Nothing against Giannis Antetokounmpo or Draymond Green, but the fact that Bam finished third for most versatile defender on this year’s general manager survey makes zero sense. He epitomizes defensive versatility! End rant.”

Adebayo’s health along with defensive versatility should land him the award next season over Wembanyama.

Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat.

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