NBA exec thinks Victor Wembanyama will be greatest defender ever
Victor Wembanyama continues to amaze with his versatility and agility for a man of his size. Besides leading the league in blocks per game (3.3), the Spurs phenom is 12th in steals (1.3) and eighth in deflections (3.0), numbers that hint at a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
However, the chances of him winning that award as a rookie are slim to none. In the modern NBA, where defense is a team concept, Wemby's defensive impact is incumbent upon his teammates being more versatile on the perimeter where most of the scoring happens. This is precisely why Wembanyama is contesting only 8.7 shots per game in comparison to Brook Lopez (17.3) or Rudy Gobert (11.3), who benefit from point-of-attack defenders making their lives easier as rim protectors.
When Wemby is surrounded by better perimeter defenders, you'd better believe his defensive win shares, not even in the top 50 currently, will skyrocket to the upper echelon. Also, his ability to switch onto perimeter players is already on display, but unless he's surrounded by players communicating better on that end, his advanced stats will continue to take a hit.
Regardless, Wembanyama's individual impact is palpable and impossible to ignore. During a game against the Lakers last Friday, Wemby became the first player since Michael Jordan to register consecutive games with at least five blocks and steals, just a few weeks after registering a triple-double with blocks.
The phenom's exploits have led to an anonymous NBA executive suggesting that the Spurs rookie is on pace to become the greatest defensive player in the sport's history, per ESPN's Tim McMahon on "The Hoop Collective" podcast.
"I had somebody with another front office tell me they think he's going to be the best defensive player of all time, and very confidently declare that and that's in addition to the fact that this guy's got unlimited potential offensively," McMahon said.
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas echoed a lot of those sentiments on his "Gil's Arena" podcast.
"I'm pretty sure he's gonna be a runner-up or winning Defensive Player of the Year this year," Arenas said. "It has nothing to do with your record, it is your impact as a defender and he's showing that he is an elite defender as a rookie."
The basketball historians will be quick to argue that Wembanyama has a long way to go before challenging Bill Russell or Hakeem Olajuwon for the honor of GOAT defender. But seeing how the modern NBA is all about offense, a rookie excelling on defense is a welcome change.
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