San Antonio Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama Already Among NBA's Best Defenders
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama is already making a huge impact on both ends of the floor.
Through four games, Wemby has scored 65 points, and 34 of those points have come in the fourth quarter and overtime. His offensive potential is unparalleled, especially if he can replicate the fourth-quarter production over an entire game.
In fact, he is already one of the best clutch players in the league. He is fifth in clutch points scored, and eighth in clutch minutes played. He is also tied for the third most rebounds in the clutch.
However, as expected, it is his defense that is leading the way. He was drafted as an offensive project but a defensive game-breaker, expected to be in the All-Defensive conversation out of the gate. And he has lived up to that hype.
Victor Wembanyama blocked Jabari Smith Jr. on back-to-back shots in an OT win.
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
According to SI Sportsbook, Wemby has the sixth-best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year (+1400). In late-game situations, Wembanyama rises to the occasion.
He is second in the entire league in defended field goal percentage, with players only making 20 percent of their shots with him as the primary defender. He has held top-tier players Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Paul George at bay when he is guarding them. In fact, of the 178 NBA players to start a game this season, only a handful of players are shot on less than Wembanyama. He is 19 years old and the league is already scared of him.
Wembanyama’s defense, much like his offense, gets taken to a whole new level near the end of the game. In the fourth quarter, his opponents are 1 of 12 shooting when he’s defending them.
He’s the only player in the NBA to record multiple blocks in the fourth quarter. Keep in mind, he sat the entire fourth against the Clippers, and the Spurs have only played four games, while many teams have played five.
No matter, there is a solid case to be made that Wembanyama is the best late-game defender in the league already. Oh, and just for good measure, the NBA is 1 of 15 from three when Wembanyama is guarding them.
