THIS ONE ISN'T A RACE. NBA 2025-26: Defensive Player of the Year

Victor Wembanyama will win the Defensive Player of the Year award. The only debate this season was whether he will win it unanimously.

That's not a knock on the competition. It's a statement about what Wembanyama has done to the concept of defensive dominance in Year Three.

THE WINNER

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 1.0 steals, 9.5 defensive rebounds per game.

The blocks are the headline. They're not the story.

The Spurs are elite when it comes to points allowed per 100 possessions with Wemby on the floor. They are barely respectable without him. The gap is basically the difference between a play-in team and a title contender.

And the numbers still don't capture everything. Wembanyama's presence near the rim changes dozens of shot attempts and offensive actions every single game — before the ball even leaves a shooter's hand. Opponents alter their drives, abandon their pull-ups, redirect their entire offensive approach the moment he steps onto the floor. Blocks are countable. Deterrence isn't.

Last season, Wembanyama was the overwhelming favorite before a blood clot ended his year after 46 games. Evan Mobley stepped in and won. This year, Wembanyama made sure the conversation never got that far. He dominated. He made the award his.

He is the third player to lead the NBA in blocks per game in three consecutive seasons, joining Dikembe Mutombo and Marcus Camby. He is 22 years old.

If everything goes right, he wins this award five, six, maybe seven times in the next decade. And when the conversation about the greatest defenders in NBA history is finally settled, his name will be at the top of it.

THE RUNNER-UP

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

The most interesting subplot of this award race. Had Wembanyama not qualified, Holmgren would have won going away. The Thunder finished with the best record in the NBA — and their defense was a primary reason. Holmgren anchored it.

At 7-foot-1, Holmgren offers a different defensive profile than Wembanyama — more switchable on the perimeter, slightly less dominant at the rim. But on the best team in basketball, his impact was real and sustained. In a normal year, this is a DPOY conversation. This wasn't a normal year.

Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons finished with the best record in the East. Thompson was the engine of their defense — disruptive, physical, versatile. Third on most ballots. Deserved every vote.

THE CONTEXT

This award has a history of going to the best defender on the best defensive team. For 12 straight seasons between 2013 and 2024, the DPOY winner came from a team that ranked first or second in points allowed per 100 possessions. The Spurs qualify. Wembanyama qualifies. The formula holds.

What makes this season different is the margin. Previous DPOY winners were dominant. Wembanyama is in a different category entirely. The blocks are historic. The on/off differential is historic. The age is historic.

The only real question entering the final weeks was whether Wembanyama would become the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history.

It should be yes.

The verdict: Wembanyama wins. Holmgren finishes second. Thompson third. The award has found its owner for the foreseeable future.

The trajectory is clear.