Lakers Star Drops No-Holds-Barred Opinion On NBA's Victor Wembanyama Mistake

Victor Wembanyama's rookie season somehow exceeded everyone's lofty expectations. Everyone was expecting the San Antonio Spurs rookie to be really good. All-star-level play was Wemby's minimum requirement to not be considered a bust.

And yet, Wembanyama was somehow even better. The Spurs rookie won the Rookie of the Year race handily, but he was also a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He finished second in voting, losing only to fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert.

However, there are a few people who believe Wemby should have won DPOY. That includes Los Angeles Lakers star D'Angelo Russell, who believes that it was a mistake that Wemby didn't win the award.

“He (Wembanyama) should’ve been Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player, Most Improved, All-NBA, MVP—like, for real," Russell said on his appearance on Tidal Wave.

He may be exaggerating a little bit, but Russell's take on Wembanyama winning DPOY makes more sense.

Podcast host Theo Pinson hit the nail on the head as to why Wemby deserved the DPOY award. The Spurs star was an insane roadblock on defense. It's not just his height; Wembanyama's shot-blocking instincts will make any rational basketball player think twice about challenging him.

Wembanyama is currently in Paris, playing for France in the Olympics. After escaping a nail-biter against Japan, the team is one step closer to winning Olympic gold.

Related: Chet Holmgren Gives Honest Opinion On Victor Wembanyama's 'Unfair' Rookie of the Year Win