NBA
Entering year three, Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favorite to win DPOY
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated40 mins ago on October 01, 2025
The 2025-26 season is just weeks away. Teams will participate in traning camp and the preseason ahead of opening night on Tuesday, October 21. One team with playoff aspirations in 2025-26 is the Spurs.
San Antonio finished 13th in the Western Conference last year. That’s largely because Victor Wembanyama missed the final 30 games of the 2024-25 regular season due to injury. Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. However, the one-time all-star has been cleared ahead of training camp. For the second consecutive season, Victor Wembanyama is the heavy betting favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Will Victor Wembanyama win Defensive Player of the Year in 2025-26?
Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favorite to win DPOY, per @PlayProphetX
Victor Wembanyama -155
Chet Holmgren +700
Amen Thompson +2000
Anthony Davis +2000
Dyson Daniels +2200
Draymond Green +2500(Via https://t.co/F1e8y6aqXE) pic.twitter.com/q5V32jVfG0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 1, 2025
If Victor Wembanyama stayed healthy in 2024-25, he likely would have won Defensive Player of the Year. Unfortunately, an injury limited Wembanyama to 46 games last season. To win end-of-season awards, players must appear in at least 65 games. Wembanyama did not meet that requirement in 2024-25. Over his 46 games with San Antonio, he averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks.
That was the second straight season that Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks per game. Wembanyama could become the sixth player in NBA history to average 4+ blocks per game in a single season. He would join Mark Eaton, Elmore Smith, Manute Bol, Dikembe Mutombo, and Patrick Ewing. If he accomplished that feat and plays at least 65 games, it would be nearly impossible for Wembanyama not to win DPOY in 2025-26.
🏀 Victor Wembanyama enters the 2025-26 season as the clear frontrunner in NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds.
Full preview of the NBA DPOY odds market here at @OddspediaUS: https://t.co/KOvovffEol pic.twitter.com/YEkUT1RAY9
— Brendan Moore (@bmoorecfb) September 26, 2025
Heading into the upcoming season, it’s no surprise who the betting favorite to win DPOY is. Victor Wenbamyama is an elite superstar defensively. No player in today’s game has the same impact on the end of the floor like Wembanyama does. He is truly one of a kind and is the heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Can the former #1 pick stay healthy in 2025-26 and win the award?
The end of Victor Wembanyama’s 2024-25 campaign was disappointing for San Antonio. However, the young center said that no player has trained the way he did this offseason. Wembanyama also said he feels better and looks stronger. He has no limitations ahead of traning camp. Exactly what the Spurs want to hear. Through trades and the draft, San Antonio has built a roster around Victor Wembanyma to compete in the Western Conference.
