Victor Wembanyama was on track for a historic season before injury

Victor Wembanyama’s sophomore NBA campaign was shaping up to be one for the history books until an injury cut it short. Despite appearing in just 46 games, the 7-foot-3 French sensation averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game.

Wembanyama finished the season with 176 total blocks, more than any other player in the NBA, despite missing 36 games. His 3.8 blocks per contest marked the highest average in a season since Alonzo Mourning in 1998–99. 

While he fell short of the minimum number of games played to qualify officially for the league leaderboard, his defensive dominance was unquestioned. No one came close. 

Brook Lopez, who played 79 games, tallied 148 blocks — 28 fewer than Wembanyama. Myles Turner (144), Walker Kessler (138) and the tied duo of Evan Mobley and Jaren Jackson Jr. (113 each) rounded out the top five, but none mounted a serious challenge to his total.

Had he maintained his pace across a full 82-game season, Wembanyama was on track to finish with well over 300 blocks. That would have made him the first player to surpass that many rejections in a season since Theo Ratliff posted 307 in 2003-04. Only one player has crossed the 300-block threshold in the last 29 years.

This was the second consecutive year Wembanyama led the league in total blocks. As a rookie, he recorded 254 blocks in 71 games, comfortably ahead of Chet Holmgren, who ranked second with 190. His mark of 176 this season still ranks among the league's best defensive outputs, despite his limited availability.

Wembanyama’s shot-blocking brilliance was on full display in a Dec. 21 win over the Portland Trail Blazers when he tallied 30 points and 10 blocks — a rare points-blocks double-double — and nearly notched a triple-double with seven rebounds. He recorded five or more blocks in 13 games this season, a testament to his consistent rim protection.