Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes and Oklahoma City Thunder star Cason Wallace rise quietly to claim NB
Barnes and Wallace received great honors (Image via NBA) Scottie Barnes, a Toronto Raptors forward, was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October and November on Tuesday. He is the first Toronto Raptor to get the award since its starting ahead of the 2024-25 season.Barnes helped lead Toronto to a 14-7 start while spearheading a defensive unit that is at the top of several categories. In addition, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace was also selected Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for games played in October/November, the NBA announced today.
Scottie Barnes makes history while Cason Wallace earns his first defensive honor
According to an NBA statement, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November, while Thunder guard Cason Wallace received the Western Conference award. Barnes is the first Raptor to earn the award. The former Rookie of the Year is the only player in the NBA with 30-plus steals and 30-plus blocks to date. He also ranks fourth in the East and tenth in the NBA with four deflections per game.Barnes also anchors the Raptors’ defense. On November 17, he secured a victory over Charlotte with a block at the buzzer. Through 21 games, the swingman has averaged 19.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. On the other hand, Cason Wallace, an Oklahoma City Thunder guard, won the Western Conference award.Barnes led the surprise Raptors to a 14-7 record until the end of November, during which time the team had the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (111.5). In October/November, the versatile 6 ‘8″ big ranked fourth in the East in deflections (4.0 per game) and was the only player in the NBA to tally up at least 30 steals and 30 blocks.On the other hand, Wallace started all 20 games and led the NBA in thefts (2.20), as well as the Western Conference in deflections (5.0). The Thunder presently have the best defensive rating in the NBA (103.6), with a 7.0 point advantage over the next closest team. This was Wallace’s career’s first Defensive Player of the Month honor. Currently in his third NBA season, the University of Kentucky product averages 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. Now, they are both being honored for their hard work and skills. Also read: Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder (11-12-2025) game preview: When and where to watch, expected lineup, injury report, prediction, and more
