Wenban Yama missed the Defensive Player of the Year award due to season-ending injury

On February 22, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been confirmed to miss the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award. The reason is that he was reimbursed for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, and did not meet the NBA 's regular season award selection requirements. According to league regulations, players must play at least 65 games and play at least 20 minutes per game to be eligible for the major awards .

Wen Banyama has performed well this season and was originally considered a strong contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award and was widely expected to be selected for the All-Defensive First Team. However, the Spurs officially announced after the All-Star Weekend that Wen Banyama will miss the rest of the regular season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. He had only played 46 games for the team, failing to meet the minimum 65 games required for the selection.

In the 46 games this season, Wenban Yama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game, of which 3.8 blocks ranked first in the league, showing a strong defensive deterrence. Whether it is the ability to protect the frame or the awareness of assisting defense, he has shown the top level of the league. However, the limitation of the number of appearances made him miss the Defensive Player of the Year award, which is really regrettable.

Wen Banyama's regret is not an isolated case. According to the new NBA rules, not only the Defensive Player of the Year, but all regular season awards must meet the condition of playing at least 65 games. Due to injuries and other reasons, stars such as Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant and Paul George have also been confirmed to be unable to participate in the selection of major awards this season. The implementation of the new rules has undoubtedly made each team pay more attention to the attendance rate and health management of players, but it has also made some stars who are absent due to injuries miss the opportunity to compete for honors.

Wen Banyama's season-ending injury will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the San Antonio Spurs. As the team's core inside player, he not only showed excellent scoring and rebounding abilities on the offensive end, but also provided great protection and deterrence on the defensive end. His absence is bound to affect the Spurs' technical and tactical system, team chemistry, and season goals. The team will face greater challenges in the next games.

Wen Banyama showed amazing talent and potential in his rookie season, but due to injuries, he missed the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, which made fans feel sorry. With the strict implementation of the NBA's rules on playing time, teams and players will definitely pay more attention to health management in the future to ensure that they can maintain their competitive state and compete for various honors in the fiercely competitive league.