Victor Wembanyama’s rookie year started as a slow burn, with the Spurs allowing him to get his feet wet before shifting too much responsibility onto his shoulders. There were flashes of brilliance, but it wasn’t until the calendar flipped to 2024 that the training wheels were removed and the Spurs started to really figure out what exactly they had.
The answer was one of the best players in the NBA already. While still a bit raw, his combination of length, quickness, and fluidity makes him a two-way force the likes of which the league has never really seen. On offense, he regularly pulled off moves that a 7’3 man shouldn’t be able to, leaving defenders trying to figure out what exactly just happened. However, for all his exploits on that end, where he left his mark was on the defensive end, becoming the most feared shot blocker in the NBA.
Wembanyama led the league with 3.6 blocks per game (1.2 more per game than second place), and tacked on 1.2 steals per game. Even funnier was how often players refused to even try a shot near him, with clips going viral every few games of players refusing to even look at the rim because Wembanyama was in or near the paint. His reputation built itself quickly, and even though other players tend to be skeptics about how good rookies actually are, by the end of the season you couldn’t find anyone willing to question his defensive greatness.
Further proving how much respect Wembanyama has garnered from his peers, The Athletic unveiled their annual player’s poll, in which 15.2 percent of the 132 players that answered called Wembanyama the best defender in the league already.
This part blew me away. Dude's a rookie! https://t.co/IhTv8bXE8v https://t.co/su7aYsI8PJ pic.twitter.com/rF2DVoaMnB
— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) April 22, 2024
That beat out Jrue Holiday (who is always beloved by his fellow players for his defensive work) and Lu Dort (who is the leader of OKC’s incredible defense) for the most votes in the poll, and maybe we shouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to win Defensive Player of the Year right alongside the Rookie of the Year award. The question is whether media voters were swayed in the same way as the players, or if Rudy Gobert will take home his fourth DPOY (to the chagrin of his fellow players who voted the Minnesota center as the most overrated player in the league).
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/nba-players-vote-victor-wembanyama-best-defender/