Victor Wembanyama’s rookie year began gradually, with the Spurs allowing him to acclimate before assigning him significant responsibility. Flashes of brilliance emerged, but it wasn’t until 2024 that the training wheels came off and the Spurs realized the exceptional talent they possessed. The answer was one of the league’s leading players. Despite his relative inexperience, his combination of length, agility, and fluidity has made him a two-way force unlike anything the NBA has ever witnessed. On offense, he has been relentless, leaving defenders utterly perplexed. However, it is on the defensive end that he has truly made his mark, establishing himself as the league’s most formidable shot blocker.
Wembanyama led the league with an astonishing 3.6 blocks per game, a significant margin over the second-place finisher. He also contributed 1.2 steals per game. More remarkably, players have frequently declined to take shots near him, with viral clips circulating of players avoiding even looking at the rim when Wembanyama was in the vicinity. His reputation quickly spread, and while rookies are often met with skepticism, Wembanyama had earned the respect of his peers by season’s end.
This respect was further evidenced in a recent poll of 132 NBA players, where 15.2% named Wembanyama as the league’s top defender. This achievement is particularly impressive considering his rookie status and surpassed highly regarded defenders like Jrue Holiday and Lu Dort. The question remains whether media voters will share the same enthusiasm or if Rudy Gobert will secure his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, despite being voted the league’s most overrated player by his peers.
