Victor Wembamyama, Dyson Daniels headline newest NBA honors
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San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels have been named the inaugural Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Defensive Players of the Month, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon. Games played during October and November were taken into account for this honor.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Defensive Players of the Month for October/November, the NBA announced.
Wemby led the NBA in blocks at 3.6 per game
Daniels led the NBA in steals at 3 per game pic.twitter.com/C1nWg8OcgJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2024
For the first time, the NBA is honoring players across the league for their defensive achievements, similar to how stars and rookies are honored with the Player and Rookie of the Month awards.
In addition to leading the league in blocked shots at 3.5 blocks per game, Wembanyama ranked fourth in contested shots (10.1 per game) and eighth in deflections (3.3 per game). He accounted for 45.9 percent of the Spurs’ total blocks in October/November. The Spurs are currently 11-9 on the season and ranked 11th in defensive rating as a team at the end of November.
Wembanyama currently ranks fifth in individual defensive rating, which is why many believe he is the early frontrunner for the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
While he is not the shot blocker that Wembanyama is, Daniels made a name for himself as an early Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his historic numbers pertaining to steals over the first month of the season.
Daniels currently leads the NBA in steals (3.0 per game), deflections (6.7 per game), and forced turnovers (2.8 per game). He has recorded a league-high 61 steals in 20 total games, which is 18 more than Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason in second. The Hawks guard also made NBA history by etching his name next to Michael Jordan’s.
With 57 steals and 18 blocks through the first 19 games of a season, Daniels became the first player since Jordan in 1988 to record such numbers. He also became the first player since Jordan in 1987 to have four straight games with at least 15 points and five steals.
Along with Wembanyama and Daniels, a total of 15 other players received consideration for these awards. Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, and Jaren Jackson Jr. headlined the list of nine additional players to receive consideration for Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month. Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo were among the six players alongside Daniels to receive consideration for the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month.
The NBA will announce the recipient of the Kia Defensive Player of the Month award at the conclusion of each month during the 2024-25 season.
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