Why Victor Wembanyama Deserves the Title of NBA’s Best Defensive Player 2023/24?

Victor Wembanyama is being hailed as the NBA’s new star, despite only going through his first season in the world’s most prestigious arena. Even during his time playing in France, Victor Wembanyama’s strong defensive skills, coupled with his impressive height (7’4″) and wingspan (7’11”), have made him one of the most effective rim protectors.

Upon joining the San Antonio Spurs, guided by a better coaching staff and playing under the pressure of the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is gradually improving his defensive abilities. If developed properly, he could indeed become the best defensive player in the world. However, this largely depends on the supporting cast around him, especially in the race for the “Defensive Player of the Year” award.

In the 2023/24 season, this award seems almost certain to go to Rudy Gobert. Nevertheless, Victor Wembanyama also deserves to be part of the discussion this year.

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Why Victor Wembanyama Deserves the Title of NBA’s Best Defensive Player? Extremely Impressive Defensive Statistics of Victor Wembanyama If we solely consider statistical figures, Victor Wembanyama is more than capable of competing head-to-head for the title of “Defensive Player of the Year.” Averaging 3.2 blocks per game, he leads the NBA this season, surpassing players like Walker Kessler (2.8 blocks per game) and top-tier names such as Anthony Davis (2.5 blocks per game) and Rudy Gobert (2.1 blocks per game). If he can maintain his current level, Wembanyama will be the first rookie to lead the league in blocks since Manute Bol in 1986.

Moreover, Victor Wembanyama’s steal ability is also remarkable. He averages 1.1 steals per game, a figure usually reserved for guards, ranking him among the top 50 steal leaders in the NBA. His performance even exceeds that of Rudy Gobert in the 2017/18 season when Gobert won the “Defensive Player of the Year” award.

Furthermore, Plus/Minus data, a measure of a player’s on-court efficiency, shows that Victor Wembanyama even outperforms top defensive centers in the NBA like Rudy Gobert, Brook Lopez, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Another statistic from Crafted NBA reveals that when defended by Victor Wembanyama, players experience a decrease in shooting efficiency by about 10.6% near the rim.

Memorable Defensive Highlights of Victor Wembanyama Typically, setting up defensive walls to support guards against centers is a straightforward basketball strategy. However, Victor Wembanyama’s monstrous height and long wingspan make it very easy for him to match any opponent’s move, whether it’s a shot or a cut into the paint.

In another play, Victor Wembanyama even directly slams the ball to the ground, much to the amazement of fans. His leaping ability and long arms are best demonstrated in the following play.

Or the beautiful defensive highlight of Victor Wembanyama in the game between the San Antonio Spurs vs Milwaukee Bucks, where he blocks Giannis Antetokounmpo’s scoring attempt.

Moreover, Victor Wembanyama’s foul retention ability is incredibly impressive. It’s important to remember that the center position is where players experience the most physical contact and are most likely to commit fouls, yet the young French star averages only 2.1 fouls per game. This number is remarkably low compared to the over 3 fouls per game average of stars like Jaren Jackson Jr., Rudy Gobert, or Domantas Sabonis.

San Antonio Spurs Need Better Supporting Players to Assist Victor Wembanyama Considering team performance, Rudy Gobert is helping the Minnesota Timberwolves have the best defense in the NBA. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs have the 7th worst defense in the league.

However, it’s worth noting that before Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs had the worst defensive rating in NBA history, which they set in the 2022/23 season. That’s an unimpressive achievement, but with just Victor Wembanyama, they’ve shown significant improvement this season.

Moreover, if we dig deeper into advanced stats, when Victor Wembanyama leaves the court, the San Antonio Spurs allow more than 10.2 additional points per 100 possessions, even worse than their performance last season. With these reasons, one can realize the importance of Victor Wembanyama to the San Antonio Spurs’ defense.

However, individual awards like “Defensive Player of the Year” still need additional criteria such as team performance. With only 11 wins in 55 games, it will be very difficult for Victor Wembanyama to compete for any individual awards in the 2023/24 season.

If the San Antonio Spurs can add quality players in the summer of 2024, Victor Wembanyama will become even more terrifying.