It’s official: The Portland Trail Blazers are facing the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in their first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Spurs 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama was announced Monday night as the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in league history. The third-year center also became the youngest winner of the award in NBA history at just age 22.
With Wembanyama serving as the backline anchor, the Spurs fielded the No. 3 defense in the NBA this season and finished with the league’s second best record at 62-20. Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks this season with 3.1 per game, while nobody else finished with more than 1.9. He was also No. 2 in the NBA with 9.5 defensive rebounds per game.
The winner of the award is selected by a global media panel of 100 voters. On the ballot, they rank their top three defenders of the year. First-place votes are worth 5 points, second-place votes are worth 3 points, and third-place votes are worth 1 point.
Wembanyama received every first-place vote to finish with 500 total points. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren came in second place after receiving 76 second-place votes and 11 third-place votes, finishing with 239 points. Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson came in third place after receiving nine second-place votes and 33 third-place votes, finishing with 60 points.
Thirteen players received at least one vote this year, but a notable name was missing from the results: Blazers third-year forward Toumani Camara. During his breakout sophomore season last year, Camara was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He also finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting with four total points, coming from one second-place vote and one third-place vote. Camara received no votes this time around, which might not bode well for his bid to make an All-Defensive Team for the second straight season.
Following Ausar Thompson, other players receiving votes this year included Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (41 points), Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (21 points), Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (13 points), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (8 points), Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (6 points), Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels (5 points), New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (4 points), Pistons center Jalen Duren (1 point), Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (1 point) and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (1 point).
Wembanyama and the Blazers are set to battle again shortly. Game 2 takes place in San Antonio on Tuesday at 5 p.m. PDT.
