NBA rookie for the Spurs chosen by his peers as the greatest defense

Written by Sai Mohan; modified 4/23/24

As a rookie, Victor Wembanyama reportedly only attained 15% of his peak performance.

Wemby topped the league in blocks, but even in his “infancy stage,” his peers consider him to be the hardest defense to score on.

The Spurs rookie came in first place, ahead of Jrue Holiday, Lu Dort, Herb Jones, and Jaden McDaniels, according to an anonymous NBA player survey conducted by The Athletic.

A few of the 132 anonymous players who supported Wemby gave an explanation for their votes.

“He is altering the game,” a rival declared. “Players are changing their shots, which is why you can’t say’scared.'” He is deserving of it.”

Another player stated, “He really, like, affects everything in the paint.” “He has guys that aren’t even attempting to reach the edge. In terms of blocks, he currently almost leads the league, and this is only his rookie year. He’s also working under time constraints.”

In addition, Wembanyama was voted the most wanted cornerstone by the team, surpassing even Nikola Jokic, the current NBA Champion.

The 7-foot-4 sensation has been pushing for Rudy Gobert to lose out to him for Defensive Player of the Year, even though it is improbable that the media will choose him over Gobert. In his debut season as a Spur, the 20-year-old averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks. He is still a favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

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