SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 11: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game on March 11, 2024 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Draymond Green is backtracking.

The Golden State Warriors forward said last month that he didn’t believe that San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom should be the Defensive Player of the Year. On Wednesday, he changed his mind:

Green’s main argument last year was that, despite Wembanyama’s impressive numbers, he still didn’t believe the award should go to “somebody who’s on the 24th-best defense in the league.”

Perhaps Green was moved by Wemby’s 15 rebounds and nine blocks against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday evening. The imminent Rookie of the Year blocked two-time MVP Nikola Jokić on multiple occasions, to the point that even Jokić just sort of threw his arms up in disbelief:

For the season, Wemby is averaging an incredible 3.5 blocks per game. That not only leads the NBA this season, it would have led the NBA in every season going all the way back to the 2015-16 campaign, when Hassan Whiteside swatted 3.7 shots per game.

So yes, what he’s doing this season is special, to the point that even Green is changing his tune.