In a development that only seasoned NBA scouts could have predicted, the dude with the eight-foot wingspan who moves like a guard has immediately turned into one of the league's best defenders.
Victor Wembanyama has played less than two weeks' worth of games, yet he already has dozens of viral defensive highlights. The film and the stats both show that the 19-year-old is a more impactful defender than veterans with over a decade of experience.
Big man defense usually takes many years to learn, and Wembanyama still has work to do on his technique. But his tools are so ridiculous that he has already become one of the best defenders in the league.
MORE: This simple Wembanyama play is impossible to guard
The Victor Wembanyama intimidation factor
Wembanyama's rim protection has expectedly been elite. His 2.2 blocks per game rank sixth in the league. On top of swatting everything in sight, he is preventing a ton of shots from even occurring.
Wembanyama's enormous wingspan serves as a major intimidation factor for players when they are driving toward the rim. Players have noticeably passed off on challenging him.
didnt even consider going for it for a second. too funny. pic.twitter.com/FtANCuBxhe
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 13, 2023
nobody would shoot it. this would be why. pic.twitter.com/x6uMt9pfd6
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 14, 2023
It's probably a wise move to avoid attempting too many layups on Wembanyama. Those who have tried have usually failed. Per NBA Stats, opponents are shooting a paltry 38.5% within six feet of the basket when guarded by Wembanyama. That's an astounding 24.2 percent worse than what would be expected from shots in that range.
Victor Wembanyama is a threat to block shots from anywhere
Wembanyama's defense does not only extend to the rim. He's already blocked four jump shots, including ones from Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin. He stuffed an inbound pass from Kawhi Leonard. And even when he's not blocking jumpers, his reach makes it almost impossible to even see the rim.
Even shooting over Wemby from afar is a nightmare 😭 pic.twitter.com/cvtgkp8Qf3
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) October 14, 2023
Kevin Durant got Wembanyama on this jump shot, but normal players have zero chance of getting a decent look over this kind of wingspan.
This Wemby photo is ridiculous 🤯 pic.twitter.com/47Nzm6Akax
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 1, 2023
Wembanyama has also been a brick wall in transition. He got Jabari Smith Jr. twice by himself on this break.
Opponents are constantly looking over their shoulders because there is no safe spot on the court to get away from the threat of Wembanyama blocking their shot.
Victor Wembanyama's defensive impact is already elite
Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama's ability to alter shots has led opponents to miss a ton of shots when he's been on the floor. Per NBA Stats, opponents are shooting a putrid 23.3 percent on all field goals with Wembanyama as the closest defender. That number is 24.5 percent worse than expected. Both of those statistics lead the entire league among players who have defended at least 25 shots this season.
MORE: Wembanyama joins legendary company with stunning performance vs Suns
The Spurs were a bad defense last season, finishing with the worst defensive rating in the history of the league. They're still not great overall, but that is mainly because of the minutes that they're playing without Wembanyama. They look like the best defense in the league with him and the worst defense in the league without him.
Per Cleaning the Glass, opponents are averaging 1.05 points per possession with Wembanyama on the floor. That number would easily make the Spurs the best defense in the league if it held over an entire season. But opponents are scoring 1.34 points per possession with Wembanyama on the bench, which would be by far the worst in the league.
Do not try to challenge Victor Wembanyama one-on-one
Wembanyama has gotten burned on some one-on-one possessions thus far, as all defenders do. But he's also made good players look silly when trying to get their moves off against him. Just ask Andrew Wiggins how that went during the preseason.
Victor Wembanayma stuffs Andrew Wiggins then hits a 3 one play later https://t.co/prhTtf9kaA pic.twitter.com/RZTepS0T6P
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 21, 2023
The scary thing for everyone else in the league is that Wembanyama still hasn't totally figured out defensive rotations or positioning yet. He also doesn't know the scouting reports and tendencies for players around the league.
There is still a ton of low-hanging fruit for Wembanyama to get a lot better. Given how good he is now, it's not an exaggeration to suggest that multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards might be in his future.