SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama has been named the NBA’s first-ever Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November.
In 16 games to start the season, Wembanyama led the league with 3.56 blocks per game and 57 total blocks while averaging 1.31 steals in October/November. He also accounted for 45.9% of the Spurs' total blocks. Wemby’s 103.8 defensive rating helped anchor the Spurs to an eighth-ranked defense and has put them among the top three shot-blocking teams in the league.
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A season after becoming the first rookie in NBA history to be named All-Defensive First Team, opponents shot 104-262 from the field last month when guarded by Wembanyama as he held a 39.7% defended field goal percentage. Within four feet of the rim, teams took 3.3% fewer shots when Wembanyama was on the floor and shot just 38.2% within four to 10 feet.
The Spurs are currently 7-2 when holding opponents under 110 points and have recorded five or more steals in every game this season, their second-longest such streak to begin a season over the last 30 years and tied for third-best in the NBA this season.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November.