"I Feel Like The Narrative Is Being Pushed For Wemby To Get It" - Anthony Davis Refuses To Stop Crying About Never Winning A DPOY

David Dow. Getty Images.

It's no secret that when it comes to NBA Awards, the "narrative" angle certainly plays a part. It's weighted more with some awards than others, for example things like MVP/DPOY are always heavily influenced by narrative compared to awards like MIP or 6MOY. I'm not sure why that is, but that tends to be how things shake out. The more subjective an awards race may be, the idea of the "narrative" becomes bigger and bigger.

I mean this isn't some sort of conspiracy, NBA media voters have gone on TV and openly said as much

Look at what went on during the Jokic/Embiid MVP narrative battle a few years go, look at what's currently going on between SGA/Jokic for the MVP race this year. Anyone who suggests narratives don't play a role in how these things shake out isn't paying attention.

At the same time, there are few things more embarrassing than a player missing out on an award, and then blaming it all on the "narrative". That's pathetic, especially when the candidate who won had a legitimate case. Over the last few years, we're constantly hearing that tune from two separate players in regards to an award. Bam and Anthony Davis will simply not stop crying about their lack of DPOYs. They can't help themselves. Every season it's the same thing to the point where even if their initial point had some validity to it, by now we're all so tired of hearing them cry about a "narrative" that in my opinion it's doing them more harm than good.

Take AD for example and his latest comments on the DPOY. We aren't even at the All Star break and he's already crying about how there's a narrative out there for Wemby to have already won the DPOY and not him

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The idea that Wemby is only getting DPOY hype because of blocks is so insane it makes AD look even worse. Does he think nobody is watching? That we don't have ample data that tells u that Wemby is very much the DPOY leader? Their rebounding is pretty much equal and AD averages fewer blocks and steals. The Spurs, yes THE SPURS have a higher ranked defense (19th) than AD's Lakers (22nd). When AD is on the floor, the Lakers have a 115.33 DRTG, which would be 24th in the NBA.

When Wemby is on the court for the Spurs? Their DRTG is 111.71, which would be 9th. Yes, the rebuilding Spurs are better defensively with Wemby on the floor than the Lakers are with AD. That's not a narrative, that's a fact. If Wemby needs to guard the perimeter? He can

If he needs to block shots, he does. There have been 7 instances this season where an NBA player has recorded 7+ blocks in a game. Wemby has 6 of them. AD? 0. And while blocks are not everything when it comes to DPOY, the point is Wemby gives you elite defense on the perimeter and even better defense at the rim. This isn't even factoring in how many players don't even attempt shots at the rim/in the paint because Wemby is lurking. Sort of like what makes Gobert such a dominant rim protector. 

This isnb't to say AD isn't good at those things either, he's just not as good as Wemby at them. I'm not sure why that's a big deal, Wemby is an alien. Turning around and blaming it all on a narrative is just so embarrassing, especially when for years you haven't been able to stop crying about not winning a DPOY.

So while I agree with AD in a sense that narratives absolutely play a role in how NBA Awards shake out, he's out of his fucking mind by suggesting one of the main reasons he won't win DPOY is because there's already a narrative out there for Wemby to win it. Maybe stop crying and get your team's defense up? Maybe understand that what Wemby is doing on the defensive end is some of the most insane shit the NBA has ever seen? I could understand if the Lakers were top 5 defensively led by AD, but it's literally the exact opposite. They're in the bottom 3rd! Behind the guy he's crying about!

I'm not sure if AD thinks he should get it just because of Lakers Exceptionalism or whatever, but continuing to cry about it like this is certainly a new low.